Rebecca Adlington is fired up by 2012 fan power

13 April 2012

Rebecca Adlington took inspiration from Federica Pellegrini's 400 metres freestyle victory at the World Championships in Rome.

The Italian received thunderous applause from her home crowd as she became the first woman under the four-minute barrier, finishing in three minutes 59.15 seconds.

Adlington, who took bronze behind fellow Briton Jo Jackson, said: "The reception Federica got is something I'll remember for the rest of my life. And in London 2012 that will be our crowd."

"We just want to better what she has done."

Adlington was the only swimmer to wear a Speedo LZR among a sea of more modern Jakeds and Adidas suits.

She joked: "I've proven that you can still get a medal."

The FINA Congress have voted to return to textile suits after the furore surrounding the performance-enhancing suits containing polyurethane.

A further ruling also means bodysuits will ultimately be a thing of the past, with the new rules set to come into effect on January 1, 2010.

Adlington continued: "Me and Jo are both so glad that we have gone back to the knee suits.

"We are both so excited about it."

When asked if she thought wearing one of the newer-generation suits would enable her to have gone faster, Adlington said: "Maybe I could have gone a bit faster but at the end of the day I wanted to compare my time with last year and I wanted to be able to come next year and know that I can hopefully go just as quick in a knee suit."

Jackson was proud to have been a part of history, adding: "I tried to stay with her (Pellegrini).

"When she went I was just kicking so hard but she swum an amazing time to break the four-minute barrier, it's an amazing thing for her to do - and to be part of that race.

"I'm just glad to have come away with a medal."

Elsewhere, David Davies was eighth in the final of the men's 400m freestyle and the men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relay squads were both seventh as six world records fell in the Eternal City.

Today sees triple world medallist Liam Tancock go in the 100m backstroke, with Gemma Spofforth and Lizzie Simmonds in the women's race.