Rebecca Adlington wins 200m freestyle title at 2011 British Gas Swimming Championships
Two times Olympic champion, Rebecca Adlington, won the 200m freestyle title on the fourth evening of the 2011 British Gas Swimming Championships. Adlington also won the 400 m freestyle title earlier in this championship, in the early world’s top time for
the year 2011.
Adlington was well aware of her expected fierce battle with Jazmin Carlin in the finals, as they finished very closed in the 200m freestyle heats. Adlington, who lost the 200m freestyle heats with a difference of 0.35 seconds from Rebecca Turner, was feeling
sluggish at that time. She also was not 100 percent fit for the race, after an exhaustive 400m freestyle race.
Carlin was ahead of all swimmers since the start of the race but Rebecca then joined her for a neck-to-neck battle in the last 25m of the race. She then took a 0.13 seconds lead over Carlin in the last 5m of the race, finishing the meet first in 1:58.90
minutes. She will now represent Britain at the 2011 Shanghai World Championships in the 200m and 400m freestyle events.
Keri Anne Payne, the British record holder for the 1500m freestyle at this championship, also won a bronze medal in the 200m freestyle event. She presented her fastest swim for the 1500m freestyle for the year 2011, at these championships.
Rebecca turner was one-step away to qualify for the Britain’s 4*200 m freestyle relay team, to compete at this year’s World Championships.
Adlington will represent Britain in China in four individual and freestyle relay events.
She said, "I will race them all at the trials but to be honest I would take whatever I qualify for, even if it was 200 breaststroke - I'm going to Olympics, who cares!”
Carlin defeated Adlington at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and was very unhappy with her effort. She added that she believed to be in better shape than her performance in last year’s Commonwealth Games, but still she lost the event.
On the other side, Payne was very happy with her effort as she had finished in the top three in her swims of the 200m, 400m, and the 1500m freestyle. She is still to contest in the 800m freestyle.
Payne, while addressing to a question regarding her selection in the relay team said, "That is a bit of a shock - I have never been on a national relay squad before so that will be quite interesting."
She was delighted to reach the podium three times in a single championship. Payne believes that she will be able to make her way to the fourth medal.
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