Rebecca Adlington pulled out of the 200metre freestyle heats of the Olympic trials at the Aquatics Centre earlier today.
Adlington had been due to swim in the early-morning opening rounds but opted not to race and will instead focus her attention on the 800m freestyle on Thursday.
Any suggestion that she was suffering from illness or fatigue from her exploits in the pool in winning the 400m freestyle British title last night were dismissed by officials, who said the 23-year-old was “just concentrating on the 800m later in the week”.
The 200m has never been Adlington’s focus, although she could yet swim the distance at the ASA Nationals in Sheffield in June mainly in a bid to qualify for the 4x200m freestyle relay team. In her absence from the individual event, Becky Turner was the quickest of the 16 qualifiers for tonight’s semi-finals, the
19-year-old clocking a personal best time of 1:58.50.
She was joined in the semi-finals by Caitlin McClatchey, Keri-anne Payne, Jazz Carlin and Jo Jackson, who finished second to Adlington in yesterday’s 400m freestyle final.
On current form, Adlington ought to cruise to the title in her longer event later this week.
Despite admitting before the trials to nerves and concerns about failing to qualify, the two-time Olympic champion was at her best as she won by more than four seconds from Jackson. “I started crying when I got out of the pool,” said Adlington after the 400m win.
“I was just so relieved. London 2012 has always been my target and to know I am finally going is the best feeling in the world.”
