Adlington 'the best'
Rebecca Adlington has been described by her coach as 'technically the best in the world'.
Last Updated: 28/07/12 8:29am
Rebecca Adlington will attempt to become the first British swimmer to successfully defend an Olympic title with the coach who has guided her since her pre-teens describing the 23-year-old as "technically the best female swimmer in the world".
The Mansfield-born star starts her programme at the Aquatics Centre on Sunday night in the 400 metres freestyle in which she won a surprise gold in Beijing.
Bill Furniss has guided Adlington at Nova Centurion from an early age with the pair negotiating a journey mainly of highs of Olympic and world success although there have been some notable lows as well.
Furniss does not attempt to disguise his admiration for Adlington and her serenity in the water.
He said: "I'm biased of course but technically I think she is the best female swimmer in the world.
"She has amazing stroke length, that's the first thing. She's got this ability to keep a line in the water which is... nothing deviates, it's very compact, very precise.
"Most people increase the speed by increasing the rate.
"Rebecca actually increases her speed by lengthening her stroke - her rate can drop which is uncanny really, you don't see that.
"She's just got an amazing ability, an amazing feel for the water."
He added: "If you were to describe a text book freestyle there is nobody better - male or female. It's perfect, it's everything you want."
