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Adlington: Second gold medal
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Rebecca Adlington destroyed the rest of the field in the 800m freestyle to claim her second gold of the Beijing Olympic Games, breaking one of swimming's most illustrious world records in the process.
Adlington's time of 8:14.10 was 2.12s under Janet Evans' 19-year-old world record as she added gold in the 800m to the one she won in the 400m freestyle earlier in the week.
The 19-year-old was six seconds clear of the rest of the field as Italy's Alessia Filippi took silver and Lotte Friis of Denmark the bronze while Britain's other representative, Cassie Patten, was eighth.
An emotional Adlington said afterwards: "I absolutely can't believe that has happened. I knew when I touched I had won and that was a great thing because I was just going for gold."
"I didn't 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 hasn't sunk in yet.
"This is just everything I have ever dreamed of and I'm so glad the hard work has paid off."
Determination
"There are times when you don't even want to drive home, you just sit on the side of the pool. You just have to push yourself. You are pushing your body every single session.
"It is so nice for it finally to pay off. But I will be back training in no time."
She was also delighted to have put Mansfield on the map.
"I've lived there for ages, my parents live there and my sisters do and it is our home," she said. "The local swimming baths, Sherwood Baths where I learned to swim, they have decided to name it after me which is absolutely amazing - I can't believe that."
