Rebecca Adlington expects Britain's Olympic swimmers to perform well in Rio

Rebecca Adlington has backed Britain's Olympic swimming squad to pick up medals in Rio

Rebecca Adlington believes Great Britain's Olympic swimming team can claim a decent haul of medals in Rio this summer.

There are just 80 days to go until the Games and double Olympic gold medallist Adlington has high hopes for the British swimming squad.

"The swimming team are looking so good," Adlington told Sportswomen on Sky Sports News HQ. "You've obviously got Adam Peaty, James Guy and Siobhan-Marie O'Connor - I really hope she gets a medal - and then Jazz Carlin and you've also got people like Fran Halsall on the team. 

"We could see four to six medals as we have never really had that depth before. Hopefully if we are all on form, touch wood, we can pick up a lot of medals."

World champions Peaty and Guy headline a 26-strong Team GB Olympic squad for Brazil which was selected following last month's National Championships in Glasgow. The English pair will make their Olympic debuts in Rio, as will Welsh Commonwealth champion Carlin.

Head coach Bill Furniss (left) and some of the GB swimmers (Siobhan-Marie O'Connor centre)

Sky Academy Sports Scholar O'Connor also secured her spot on the team last month, but this will be the second Games for O'Connor, who won World Championship bronze in the 200m individual medley in Russia last summer.

Adlington has backed 20-year-old O'Connor to perform well in Brazil, saying: "We are going to see her go in the 200m in the medley and hopefully she can do well. She is in a tough event but she has a shot at a medal here.

"She has become a smart athlete with the way she races. She's a gutsy swimmer and that's what I love about her, she just gives it her all. She is such a passionate swimmer so hopefully she can pick up a medal in Rio."

O'Connor competes in the women's 200m individual medley at the British Swimming Championships in Glasgow

Adlington was also full of praise for four-time Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds.

She said: "With Ellie nothing is impossible, that's what I've learnt. She is a hard worker who really wants to push herself and she wants to push for world records, not just for medals. 

"I think she is going to be a huge success in the summer."

Ellie Simmonds, four-time Paralympic champion

Team GB will be looking to improve on a very disappointing Olympics at London in 2012 where the British swimmers failed to achieve their Olympic medal target of five, winning one silver and two bronzes, both of which went to Adlington.

However, hopes for the summer will be high after a youthful squad achieved a record-breaking haul of medals at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan.