Olympics: Records Tumble As Adlington Leads a British Plunge Into Medal Battles

The unprecedented spate of Olympic records in the pool continued yesterday as Britain's Rebecca Adlington and Joanne Jackson both clocked startling personal-best swims which raised hopes of at least one GB medal in this morning's final of the women's 400m freestyle.

After less than two days of action in the Water Cube it is already clear that high-tech body suits are aiding swimmers of all nationalities to post improved times but Adlington cut more than 2sec off her previous best and Jackson was 1.58sec quicker as both went under the event's longstanding Olympic record, set two decades ago by the American Janet Evans.

That record is now in the possession of Italy's Federica Pellegrini - who clocked 4min 2.19sec - but Adlington, Mansfield's finest, was only 0.05sec behind her, comfortably inside Evans' old mark of 4:03.85 and some 1.5sec faster than the prolific American Katie Hoff. The 21-year-old Jackson, who hails from north Yorkshire, was the fourth-quickest qualifier in a time of 4:03.80.

It is 48 years since a British woman last won an Olympic gold medal in the pool and Adlington, in particular, had good reason to hope she could match the achievement of Anita Lonsbrough in the 200m breaststroke in Rome in 1960. There was also cause for optimism in the shape of Liam Tancock, whose prospects of a medal in the 100m backstroke were enhanced when he pushed the world record-holder Aaron Peirsol hard in his heat to advance to the semi-finals as the sixth-fastest man in a field which also features the experienced Gregor Tait.

"I'm really happy," said the 19-year-old Adlington, who chased down the fast-starting Pellegrini before being pipped at the finish. "I'm not a natural sprinter, so I find it really hard to go out at that pace but I just tried to get closer and closer."

Jackson was also narrowly beaten into second place in her heat, finishing just 0.09sec behind Hoff as she set a new personal best. "I was pretty nervous because it was my first swim and I didn't know what to expect," she said.

"I'm just happy that I've made the final and I have a second chance. A PB would be great tomorrow. Obviously it's a morning swim but I'm really looking forward to it. I'll eat lots and sleep lots and do a swim down. I've got tonight to rest so I'll be fine for the morning."

Jemma Lowe, meanwhile, qualified for the final of the 100m butterfly courtesy of a personal best time of 57.78, although Australia's Libby Trickett remained the favorite for gold. Gemma Spofforth and Lizzie Simmonds both made the semi-finals of the women's 100m backstroke during a remarkable sequence of races in which the existing Olympic record was broken three times.

Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry eventually lowered the mark to 59.00, missing out on a world record by just 0.03sec. Ross Davenport booked his place in the semi-finals of the men's 200m freestyle with a swim of 1:47.13, narrowly outside his personal best.