28 June 2009

With next month’s World Championships in Rome fast approaching, Olympic medallists David Davies and Jo Jackson both excelled in the British Gas Scottish National Championships, which finished in Glasgow today after four days of fierce competition.

Davies, who won a bronze medal in the 1,500m freestyle event at the Athens Olympics before claiming silver in the 10km open-water discipline at the Beijing Games last year, was triumphant in both the 400m and 800m freestyle competitions in Glasgow. Indeed, Davies lowered his own British record in the 800m free as he finished in 7:50.49, although the Be Number 1 swimmer still admitted to a tinge of disappointment.

“I was looking to get a quicker time,” he said. “But I am feeling a bit tired through my training. I have been trying to bring it back stronger, but the energy just wasn’t there. To get a record always give you a buzz, but I wanted to go faster.

“Everyone in distance swimming is going really fast and they have moved the events on massively. My preparation is making sure this is something I will be doing in 2012. It is all geared towards that goal. The 800m event isn’t a certainty for me in Rome. I am going to sit down tonight and consider options. The dilemma is that it isn’t an Olympic event and I don’t want it to impact on those that are.”

Jackson, for her part, took more than six seconds off her previous personal best in the 800m freestyle to record the fourth fastest time in history, but even that wasn’t enough to beat double Olympic gold medallist Becky Adlington, who touched home in 8:17.81 – exactly one second ahead of Jackson.

The last time that the two girls had competed against each other was at the British Championships in Sheffield in March, when Jackson broke the 400m freestyle world record. On this occasion, the pair of combatants just about matched each other stroke for stroke before Adlington, who finished just two seconds shy of her own world record, moved away in the last 100m to grab victory.

“I am pretty shocked by that,” admitted Jackson. “Becky pulled me through that race and it was only with 100m remaining that she pulled away and I didn’t have anything left. We help each other along and I really like having her there.”

By coincidence, Jackson’s 400m world record was yesterday reclaimed at the Mediterranean Games in Pescara, Italy by home country swimmer Federica Pellegrini in a time of 4:00.41 – a quarter of second quicker than Jackson’s mark. The Italian achieved the feat while wearing a 100 per cent polyurethane suit that will be banned from next year.

In addition to Davies and Jackson, a third Be Number 1 swimmer – Ross Davenport – has been selected as part of the British swimming team that will compete at the forthcoming World Championships, which start in the Eternal City on 17 July.