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Page last updated at 09:04 GMT, Monday, 11 August 2008 10:04 UK

Adlington snatches swimming gold

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Video - Freestyle gold and bronze for GB

Britain's Rebecca Adlington took a historic gold in the women's 400m freestyle, while her team-mate Jo Jackson claimed the bronze medal.

Adlington timed her late surge to perfection as she became Britain's first female Olympic swimming champion in 48 years.

The 19-year-old from Mansfield pipped Katie Hoff of the United States by just seven 100ths of a second.

Jackson also staged a late rally to edge Coralie Balmy into fourth place.

The British pair both paced their races superbly, reaching 100m and 200m in sixth and eighth place respectively.

Just over half a second separated the field at the halfway point, with Adlington reaching 300m in fifth and Jackson just ahead in fourth.

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Adlington and Jackson want more success

Hoff looked to have a built a decisive lead and was half a length ahead with 10m to go, but Adlington powered up the final 50m to win it at the wall and become the first British woman to claim gold since Anita Lonsbrough won the 200m breaststroke in 1960.

She left the Italian world record holder Federica Pellegrini and France's world champion Laure Manaudou in her wake, in fifth and eighth.

Adlington and Jackson are also the first British women to win medals in the Olympic pool since Sarah Hardcastle's silver (400m freestyle) and bronze (800m freestyle) in Los Angeles in 1984.

Jackson's third place in a time of 4:03.52 meant Team GB eclipsed their entire medal haul in the pool from Athens 2004 in one race.

In Greece, Britain won two bronze medals, with Stephen Parry (200m butterfly) and David Davies (1500m freestyle) both making the podium.

A thrilled Adlington, who finished in 4:03.22, said she was disappointed with her time but added: "We are both so happy to have two British girls on the podium. We just tried to ignore the times and race the final.

"I don't think either of us are natural sprinters, we don't do the 100m free so we are naturally suited to the back half of the race.

606: DEBATE
"We didn't panic when we were a little bit behind. I didn't see anyone past Katie, I didn't know what was going on.

"I couldn't see what there was on the other side of the pool, I saw Katie and just tried to catch her."

Adlington added: "I don't think either of us expected it and especially a gold and a bronze, it's absolutely amazing.

"It hasn't sunk in yet. I'm just over the moon."

At the Olympics four years ago, where Britain's 30 medals was the country's best tally (aside from the boycotted 1984 Games) since Paris in 1924, the squad had to wait until day seven for their first gold.

It is day three in Beijing and Team GB already have two golds, with Adlington building on cyclist Nicole Cooke's thrilling win in the women's road race on Sunday.




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Sunday, 24 August 2008 10:17 UK
RankCountryGoldSilverBronzeTOTAL
1also show each event results forUSA1291031
Men's 100m Backstroke110
Men's 100m Butterfly100
Men's 100m Freestyle001
Men's 200m Backstroke110
Men's 200m Butterfly100
Men's 200m Freestyle101
Men's 200m Individual Medley101
Men's 400m Freestyle001
Men's 400m Individual Medley101
Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay100
Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay100
Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay100
Women's 100m Backstroke101
Women's 100m Breaststroke010
Women's 100m Butterfly010
Women's 100m Freestyle001
Women's 200m Backstroke010
Women's 200m Breaststroke100
Women's 200m Individual Medley001
Women's 400m Freestyle010
Women's 400m Individual Medley001
Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Rel010
Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay010
Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Rel001
Women's 50m Freestyle010
2also show each event results forAustralia66820
Men's 100m Backstroke001
Men's 100m Freestyle010
Men's 1500m Freestyle010
Men's 200m Breaststroke010
Men's 200m Freestyle001
Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay001
Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay010
Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay001
Women's 100m Breaststroke100
Women's 100m Butterfly101
Women's 100m Freestyle010
Women's 200m Breaststroke010
Women's 200m Butterfly001
Women's 200m Individual Medley100
Women's 400m Individual Medley100
Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Rel001
Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay100
Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Rel100
Women's 50m Freestyle001
3also show each event results forGreat Britain2226
Men's Marathon 10km010
Women's 400m Freestyle101
Women's 800m Freestyle100
Women's Marathon 10km011
4also show each event results forJapan2035
Men's 100m Breaststroke100
Men's 200m Breaststroke100
Men's 200m Butterfly001
Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay001
Women's 200m Breaststroke001
5also show each event results forGermany2013
Men's Marathon 10km001
Women's 100m Freestyle100
Women's 50m Freestyle100
6also show each event results forNetherlands2002
Men's Marathon 10km100
Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Rel100
7also show each event results forChina1326
Men's 400m Freestyle010
Women's 200m Butterfly110
Women's 200m Freestyle001
Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay001
Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Rel010
8also show each event results forZimbabwe1304
Women's 100m Backstroke010
Women's 200m Backstroke100
Women's 200m Individual Medley010
Women's 400m Individual Medley010
9also show each event results forFrance1236
Men's 100m Breaststroke001
Men's 100m Freestyle100
Men's 200m Breaststroke001
Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay010
Men's 50m Freestyle011
10also show each event results forRussia1124
Men's 100m Backstroke001
Men's 200m Backstroke001
Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay010
Women's Marathon 10km100
11also show each event results forItaly1102
Women's 200m Freestyle100
Women's 800m Freestyle010
12also show each event results forSouth Korea1102
Men's 200m Freestyle010
Men's 400m Freestyle100
13also show each event results forBrazil1012
Men's 100m Freestyle001
Men's 50m Freestyle100
14also show each event results forTunisia1001
Men's 1500m Freestyle100
15also show each event results forHungary0303
Men's 200m Butterfly010
Men's 200m Individual Medley010
Men's 400m Individual Medley010
16also show each event results forNorway0112
Men's 100m Breaststroke010
Women's 200m Breaststroke001
17also show each event results forSerbia0101
Men's 100m Butterfly010
18also show each event results forSlovenia0101
Women's 200m Freestyle010
19also show each event results forAustria0011
Women's 100m Breaststroke001
20also show each event results forCanada0011
Men's 1500m Freestyle001
21also show each event results forDenmark0011
Women's 800m Freestyle001

see also
Adlington tipped to add to gold
11 Aug 08 |  Swimming
Adlington may get baths tribute
11 Aug 08 |  Swimming
Phelps wins second gold in relay
11 Aug 08 |  Swimming
Kitajima takes breaststroke gold
11 Aug 08 |  Swimming
Trickett wins 100m butterfly gold
11 Aug 08 |  Swimming
Rice sees off Hoff for shock gold
10 Aug 08 |  Swimming
Adlington sets sights on GB medal
10 Aug 08 |  Swimming
Adlington in record-breaking form
13 Jul 08 |  Swimming
BBC Olympics blog
15 Aug 08 |  Olympics
Beijing 2008
14 Feb 08 |  Olympics
Guide to synchro
02 Mar 06 |  Swimming


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