Adlington smashes world record for second gold
Britains Rebecca Adlington laid waste to the oldest world record in swimming to claim her second gold medal of the Beijing Games today.
She added the 800m freestyle title to the gold she claimed in the 400m earlier in the week, with a winning margin of more than six seconds.
The time of 8 minutes 14.10 seconds shattered by more than two seconds the oldest standing record in swimming set by Janet Evans of the US in 1989 - when 19-year-old Adlington was just six months old.
"I absolutely cant believe that has happened," she said. "I knew when I touched I had won and that was a great thing because I was just going for gold.
"I didnt expect that record at all. It has always been a goal of mine but I never really expected it at this moment in time. To do it now and to do that time it hasnt sunk in yet.
"This is just everything I have ever dreamed of and Im so glad the hard work has paid off."
Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe also broke a world record as she defended her Olympic title in the 200 backstroke. She led all the way and finished in 2:05.24 seconds, lowering the mark of 2:06.09 set by Margaret Hoelzer at the US trials last month.
Hoelzer took the silver in 2:06.23 and Reiko Nakamura of Japan the bronze in 2:07.13.