Becky Adlington beats world record, gets Gold for Team GB

Rebecca Adlington made British sporting history in Beijing this morning as she won her second Olympic gold medal, smashing the 800 metres freestyle world record by more than 2sec in the process.

When Adlington won the 400m freestyle earlier in the week, it ended a 48-year wait for an Olympic gold medal for a British woman swimmer. Now she has achieved something no British swimmer has managed in 100 years of Games history, and won two Olympic swimming golds. This time, by swimming the 16 lengths of the Water Cube pool in just 8min 14.10sec, the 19-year-old from Mansfield bettered a performance that has been on the record books for her entire lifetime. American Janet Evans's 8:16.22 had stood, seemingly unbreakable, since 1989. 'I can't believe that I went that quick,' a clearly delighted Adlington said. 'It's so nice that when you work so hard for so long that it all pays off.'

Adlington's delight was made greater because her parents, Kay and Steve, had VIP seats in the Water Cube to witness their daughter's latest success, after having been involved in an internet ticket scam, losing £1,100, that meant that they missed her first gold medal swim. 'My mum and dad are finally here to see me,' Adlington said. 'I am so happy. I can't believe it.' Adlington destroyed the field in the Olympic final, finishing more than 6sec clear of the Italian silver medal-winner, Alessia Filippi. Norway's Lotte Friis took bronze nearly 3sec further back. Adlington's best friend immediately launched a campaign for further honours for her room mate: 'To the Queen, if you are watching this,' Patten told national television, 'that's two gold medals, and Dame Rebecca Adlington.' Patten was referring to the honour bestode upon runner Kelly Holmes after she won two Olympic golds at the Athens Games four years ago.

In the longest race in the pool for women, Adlington's stroke was long and strong as she averaged close to 30sec per length. For the first 200 metres, she had the Romanian, Camelia Potec, for company.But that early pace would prove too much for Potec, who eventually finished exhausted and out of the medals in fourth.Once Adlington's relentless swimming broke her away from the Romanian, she then set about attacking Evans's world record, a target which her coach, Bill Furniss, had told her was possible after she had set an Olympic record of 8:18.06 in Thursday's heat. 'I was just expecting a battle,' Adlington said, 'but as soon as I was on my own, I just went for the time.'