Rebecca Adlington delighted to win Britain's first gold swimming medal
since 1988 with last-gasp victory in the 400 metres freestyle final. 

 BEIJING, CHINA (AUGUST 11, 2008) REUTERS -
 Britain's Rebecca Adlington revelled in becoming Britain's first
female Olympic swimming champion in almost half a century on Monday (August
11). 
    Fourth at the final turn in the 400 metres freestyle final, Adlington
hurtled down the last length to overhaul American Katie Hoff and clinch the
gold by a tiny 0.07 seconds in four minutes 03.22 seconds. 
    Hoff clung on to take the silver in 4:03.29 while Joanne Jackson
provided Britain with a second medal when she finished third in 4:03.52. 
    Adlington admitted that when she entered the last length a win looked
unlikely.
    "I saw as soon as I came out of the turn that Jo (Jackson) was
there... I caught them up and then I saw Katy and I thought she was just a
little bit too far ahead. But I just got my head down and kept going and then
just managed somehow to touch her out. I've just watched it back and I can't
believe I did," she said.
    It was Britain's first Olympic swimming gold by a woman since Anita
Lonsbrough, who watched Monday's race as a journalist, won the 200
breaststroke at the Rome Games in 1960. 
    Adrian Moorhouse was Britain's last Olympic swimming champion, winning
the 100 metres breaststroke at the 1988 Seoul Games. 
    Adlington was particularly delighted to share the glory with team-mate
and bronze-medallist Joanne Jackson.
    "I just can't believe that I've just won an Olympic medal, and to
have Jo (Jackson) there as well was just absolutely fantastic, it was just
such a good memory to keep," she said.