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Page last updated at 12:27 GMT, Thursday, 14 August 2008 13:27 UK

Adlington sets new Olympic record

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Video - Adlington sets Olympic record

Rebecca Adlington set a new Olympic record in the 800m freestyle heats as six British swimmers reached finals.

Adlington, who has already won the 400m women's freestyle, set a new mark of eight minutes 18.06 seconds.

Fran Halsall, Gregor Tait, Liam Tancock, James Goddard and Cassie Patten also reached finals.

But Mark Foster, Great Britain's flag bearer at the opening ceremony, went out after finishing 23rd in the 50m freestyle heats in 22.36 secs.

Foster, now 38 and a five-time Olympian, said he always felt deep down that a medal was beyond him but admitted he had hoped to make it out of the heats.

"Being the racer I am, and with what I've achieved over the years, I did expect a little bit more," he told BBC Sport.

"I think I was more nervous than I have been for a long time. I started thinking it might be my last Olympics - I'm disappointed with the way I swam. I just felt awful while I was swimming it."

France's Amaury Leveaux set a new Olympics record of 21.46 to go through as the fastest qualifier, one one-hundredth of a second ahead of Brazilian Cesar Cielo-Filho.

606: DEBATE

Foster was followed into the pool by Adlington, the new star of British swimming.

The 19-year-old was under world record pace for much of her heat before coming home in a new Olympic mark to be the fastest qualifier for the 800m freestyle final, which will also feature Patten.

"I did not expect that at all. I'm really pleased with that," Adlington told BBC Sport.

Asked if she was looking forward to Saturday's final she said: "Definitely, definitely. It's going to be good."

The women's 800m freestyle world record of 8:16.22, which is held by American great Janet Evans and was set in 1989, is the oldest record still standing.

In the men's 100m butterfly heats, Serbia's Milorad Cavic set a new Olympic record when he touched ahead of Michael Phelps in 50.76 secs.

But British pair Michael Rock and Todd Cooper both failed to progress to the semi-finals.

The final two British swimmers in action on Thursday, Lizzie Simmonds and Gemma Spofforth, both made in through to the semi-finals of the women's 200m.

Simmonds set a new British record of 2.08.66 as she went through as the second-fastest qualifier, while Spofforth sneaked through as the 16th and final qualifier.

Halsall eased some of the pain of the women's 4x200m relay failure by reaching the final of the women's 100m freestyle.

The 4x200m squad had been tipped as medal contenders but fielded a weakened team in the heats and finished in ninth, one place outside the final.

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Video - Halsall happy with heat success

Halsall bounced back to come third in her 100m semi-final in 53.94, with American Natalie Coughlin the fastest qualifier for the final with a time of 53.70.

Tait, who qualified for his second straight 200m backstroke Olympic final in a time of 1:56.72, just missed his own British record as he finished sixth fastest overall.

Defending champion Aaron Peirsol set the fastest time in the semi-finals with 1:55.26.

Tait told BBC Sport: "If I keep swimming fast, then who knows what will happen.

"But I am not putting any pressure on myself to win or to get a medal. It doesn't really matter that much, I just want to enjoy myself."

Goddard and Tancock will both feature in the men's 200m individual medley final.

Goddard, who finished third in his semi-final, told BBC Sport: "I have made the Olympic final again, so I am really excited.

"I have done what I wanted to do, which is get through to the final, and now I can enjoy it tomorrow morning. I am so happy that I am there."

Tancock made Friday's medley final by finishing fourth in his semi-final, which was won by American Phelps, who remains on course for an incredible eight golds.

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Video - Foster's Games come to an end




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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
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Men's 200m Freestyle010
Men's 400m Freestyle100
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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
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Men's 100m Breaststroke010
Women's 200m Breaststroke001
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19also show each event results forAustria0011
Women's 100m Breaststroke001
20also show each event results forCanada0011
Men's 1500m Freestyle001
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Women's 800m Freestyle001

see also
Olympics blog
07 Aug 08 |  Olympics
Beijing 2008
14 Feb 08 |  Olympics
Guide to synchro
02 Mar 06 |  Swimming


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