British Gas Swimming Championships
Dates: 5-12 March Venue: Manchester Aquatics Centre
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra; daily video highlights on the BBC Sport website

World champion Gemma Spofforth came back from behind to win the 100m backstroke at the British Championships in Manchester on Monday.

Spofforth overhauled European silver medallist Lizzie Simmonds to touch home in one minute 00.52 seconds.

World 50m backstroke holder Liam Tancock won the 100m backstroke, touching in almost two seconds clear.

And Ross Davenport took the men's 100m freestyle final by storm, beating Robbie Renwick to win in 48.34 seconds.

All three swimmers have now qualified to represent Great Britain in July's World Championships in Shanghai.

Keri-Anne Payne set a British record in the 1500m freestyle final, beating Rebecca Cooke's mark from 2003 by more than eight seconds to win gold in 16 minutes 06.67 seconds.

But Payne's achievement does not qualify the Olympic silver medallist for Shanghai because the 1500m freestyle is not an Olympic event.

"I hoped I could break the British record, I was definitely in contention, but I was just so pleased to go that far under it," she said.

"I'm now looking for a good 800 and hopefully a personal best to get qualification for the world qualifier."

Simmonds was 0.64 seconds adrift and outside the time required to make the World Championship team but can look to qualify at the National Championships in Sheffield in June.

Florida-based Spofforth, who had lost her 100m backstroke crown to Simmonds in 2010, described her win as "redemption".

The 23-year-old said: "It was very important. It was something that I thought about quite often and I came in wanting to win this as redemption from last year."

Double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington overcame the effects of her victory in Saturday's 400m freestyle victory to qualify ahead of rivals Jazmin Carlin, Jo Jackson and Hannah Miley in the 200m freestyle semi-final.

"I was feeling really stiff today after the 400m and it was just a chance to get in and do a good swim," she said.

"I couldn't see beyond Jaz and Hannah so to be honest. I just went for it because I didn't know what was happening!"

Tancock was buoyed by his time of 53.44 seconds so early in his preparations for the World Championships.

"I improved through the rounds and that was a great sign. I love competing against the best in Britain and the best in the world," he said.

"Bring on Shanghai, I like racing the big guns."

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