Britain's Adlington competes in the women's 800m freestyle heats at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai
Leisel Jones
Australia
Nick D'arcy
Australia
James Magnussen
Australia
Michael Phelps
United States
The pride of Britain, Rebecca Adlington could win as many as three gold medals in her backyard Games. A double Olympic gold medalist in the 400 and 800 freestyles in 2008, Adlington became her country’s most successful Olympic swimmer in 100 years. With her success, she also changed the way women swim the longer race.
In the 800 final, she broke the world record of Janet Evans, set in 1989, the year Adlington was born. Adlington used an eight-beat kick, which used to be reserved for the shorter distances because coaches thought it would be too exhausting to use for all 16 laps in a 50-meter pool.
After watching Adlington’s swim, Bill Rose, who coaches one of the top American female distance swimmers, Chloe Sutton, returned home and changed Sutton’s stroke to an eight-beat kick.
While physically and technically strong, Adlington, 23, can be mentally fragile. At the 2009 world championships in Rome, she was the prohibitive favorite in her two events but finished fourth in the 800 free and third in the 400 free. She said she felt added pressure to perform well in her first major test after her unexpected Olympic success. Two years later Adlington redeemed herself at the world championships in Shanghai by winning the 800 freestyle and finishing second in the 400.
Four months before her country’s trials, Adlington said she was anxious about qualifying for the British team that will compete in London. She need not have worried; she won the 400 and 800 freestyles at the March meet. -- KAREN CROUSE
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