Adlington: 4:02.80 Commonwealth Record 400 Free
2008-07-13
Craig Lord
The British teenager will arrive in China as a medal hope in two distance events but says the form guide is irrelevant

Rebecca Adlington shattered her Commonweath record with a 4:02.80 win in the 400m freestyle at ASA nationals in Liverpool this morning.

The standard had stood to her at 4:04.50 since Olympic trials in April. Coached by Bill Furniss at Nottingham, the 19-year-old said: 'That was unbelievable. I don't understand how I've just done that time. I felt sluggish in the water this morning and expected a 4:08. I would have been happ with that.' Happier with a 4:02.80, though.

Adlington, at the helm of the 800m rankings this year, is now a serious medal hope in the 400m alonsgide the two women ahead of her so far this year, Federica Pellegrini (ITA), world record holder and favourite for the crown, and Katie Hoff (USA). Among a host of others close by are Laure Manaudou, defending champion. Adlington says the form guide is irrelevant: 'All of that is just where we are now. When we get to Beijing it all starts again. It comes down to what you do there.'