Olympics: Rebecca Adlington Takes Gold for Britain in 400m Freestyle

Rebecca Adlington has won Britain's first swimming gold medal of the Beijing Olympics in the 400m freestyle and her compatriot Joanne Jackson took bronze. It is Britain's first gold in women's swimming for 48 years.

Britain's Jemma Lowe finished sixth in her first Olympic final, the 100m butterfly, recording a creditable 58.06sec. But she was nowhere near the Australian world champion Libby Trickett, who pulled clear to win in 56.73sec with the American Christine Magnuson taking silver and fellow Australian Jessicah Schipper the bronze.

Team GB's Gemma Spofforth, meanwhile, has qualified for the Olympic final in the 100m backstroke. Spofforth, a student at the University of Florida, finished third in her semi-final in a time of 59.79sec to qualify fifth quickest overall for tomorrow's final. But team-mate Elizabeth Simmonds could only manage fifth place in the same race to miss out in 10th place overall. Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry won the heat with a world record of 58.77sec.

In the men's 200m freestyle semi-finals, Robbie Renwick made the final despite finishing seventh, but Ross Davenport failed to achieve the time.

There was more disappointment for Britain in the semi-finals of the 100m breaststroke, where Kirsty Balfour and Kate Haywood missed out on a place in the final.

Balfour was more than a second and a half outside her personal best in finishing last in the first semi-final, while Haywood was seventh in the quicker second semi in 1:08.36 to find herself 11th overall.

World record holder Liam Tancock qualified for the final of the 100m backstroke after finishing third in his semi-final, but team-mate Gregor Tait was sixth in the same race and 12th fastest overall to miss out.

Tancock, record holder over the non-Olympic event of 50m backstroke, made his usual lightning start and held on down the second length to record a time of 53.61.

Australia's Hayden Stoeckel set an Olympic record of 52.97 in the second semi to lead the qualifiers into tomorrow's final.