British Stars Get Their Season Underway

A group of top British swimmers got their Olympic seasons underway in a low-key manner at last weekend's Lincoln Vulcans Open Meet (long course metres). Despite being in heavy training, Elizabeth Simmonds and Fran Halsall managed to put together a world class duel in the 100m Backstroke.

Notable performances

Elizabeth Simmonds - 100m Back - 1:00.70 (split 29.61)
Francesca Halsall - 100m Back - 1:01.15 (split 29.76)
Francesca Halsall - 50m Free - 25.13
Francesca Halsall - 100m Fly - 59.63
Liam Tancock - 100m Breast - 1:04.18 (split 30.25)
Rebecca Adlington - 200m IM - 2:18.70
Rebecca Adlington - 200m Back - 2:15.71
Jo Jackson - 100m Free - 56.51

Full results

This Weekend's Racing

Another good weekend of racing coming up as many swimmers compete in their final competition before their national championships.

British University Championships - Feb 11-13 - (LC) - Psych Sheet - Results

British Swimming are sending the big guns to compete alongside the students.

UPDATE - Rebecca Adlington just swam 8:23.85. Moves to the top of the world rankings and just 2.6 seconds down on last year's best effort. Splits of 2:04.48 / 4:12.63 /  6:18.66 / 8:23.85 (negative split). In a mixed race Adlington beat 6 men and just finished shy of Stirling's Josh Walsh (8:23.36). Shows what a racer she is.

(Feat. Rebecca Adlington, Fran Halsall, Joanne Jackson, Elizabeth Simmonds, Gemma Spofforth, Amelia Maughan, Steph Proud, Stacey Tadd, Liam Tancock, Ross Davenport, Robert Bale, Laurent Carnol, Antony James, Joe Roebuck, Michael Jamieson, Kris Gilchrist, Chris Walker-Hebborn, Roberto Pavoni)

New South Wales State Championships - Feb 11-13 - (LC) - Result 

Britain's Ellen Gandy was hugely impressive beating both Steph Rice and Therese Alshammar comfortably in the 100m Fly. Gandy's time of 58.23 vaults her to the top of the early world rankings.

(Feat. Stephanie Rice, Leisel Jones, Therese Alshammar, Marieke Guehrer, Ellen Gandy, Belinda Hocking, Megan Nay, Katie Goldman, Ryan Cochrane, Andrew Lauterstein, Ryan Napoleon, Kyle Richardson, Matt Targett, Kenneth To, James Magnussen, Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Ashley Delaney, Hayden Stoeckel)

Swedish Grand Prix - Feb 12-13 - (LC) - Start List - Results

Marleen Veldhuis (25.13) held off Ranomi Kromowidjojo (25.30) in the 50m Free. Sarah Sjöström won the 100m Fly in an impressive time of 58.47 (just shy of Gandy's time from the other side of the world).

(Feat. Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Sarah Sjöström, Marleen Veldhuis, Sharon van Rouwendaal, Jennie Johansson, Petra Granlund, Gabriella Fagundez, Stefan Nystrand, Simon Sjödin, Petter Stymne)

Meeting National Nice (LC) - Feb 11-13 - Results (Thanks to Dublincat for the tip)

(Feat. Yannick Agnel, Alain Bernard, Danila Izotov, Stanislav Donets, Boris Steimitz, Camille Muffat, Coralie Balmy, Ophelie-Cyrille Etienne, Alexandra Putra)

Incredible times from Camille Muffat (1:56.63 200m Free, 8:2655 800m Free) and Yannick Agnel (1:46.55 200m Free), strengthening their claims as serious contenders for Shanghai later this year. Also featuring a 1:04.91 100m Breast from none other than Alain Bernard... how about a switch to IM? He can swim 200m Free and 100m Breast... Just saying.

European Swimming Championships - Preview Day 4

Apologies to all non-British readers, its Union Jack waving time at Speed Endurance. God save the Queen.

All fans of British swimming need to make sure they watch tonight's evening session of the European Swimming Championships as we could be in for a cracker.

- First up we have Dame Rebecca Adlington go in her favoured event, the 800m Freestyle. This will likely be Adlington's toughest test of 2010 as she goes up against last year's 800m Free world champion Lotte Friis as well as Federica Pellegrini (ITA), Olympic Champion in the 200m Free in Beijing and World Champion last year in the 200m and 400m Freestyle. Friis poses the most obvious threat as she has proven class in the 800m. Pellegrini on the other hand is some what of a wild-card over 800m but is currently the world's best over 200m and 400m Free.

Adlington is at a disadvantage as this competition isn't her main focus and whilst I'm sure Commonwealths are the main focus, I would not be surprised if Adlington has prepared more for this meet than some of the other British swimmers.

Reasons to be hopeful

• Nova Centurion team-mate Jessica Sylvester has been in pretty good form at this competition on the relays and individual events.

• Adlington's heat swim was solid, going out in a strong 4:11

• Adlington has already gotten the better of Friis once this year at the Barcelona leg of the Mare Nostrum tour. (8:21.25 to 8:23.76). In that race Friis set the pace with Adlington never letting her get more than a second away before taking over the race at the 600m mark.

- Hannah Miley has a real chance of picking up a second medal in the 200m IM final. Katinka Hosszu (HUN) and Camille Muffat (FRA) are the favourites for the top two positions. European Record holder Hosszu must still be hurting after her 400m IM defeat on home soil whilst Muffat has been one of the most impressive swimmers of 2010 so far, the French are also on fire in Budapest.

Miley will face further competition from Evelyn Verraszto (HUN) and Mireia Belmonte Garcia (ESP).

- Lizzie Simmonds and Gemma Spofforth could, and probably should, clinch a second British 1-2 in the 100m Backstroke.

Simmonds has been hugely impressive on her starts and turns and that could prove the difference against Spofforth. World Record holder Spofforth had a good 200m and swam a stunning 59.46 at British Nationals (0.03 second behind Simmonds) whilst still jet-lagged from a trans-atlantic flight.

Predicting the winner of this race is extremely tough. Gun to my head, I would go with Simmonds in 59-low.

- The British women's 4 x 200m Freestyle team will go into the race as strong favourites. The European record holders boast Rebecca Adlington, Jo Jackson (who looks like she is back to full fitness), Jazmin Carlin and Hannah Miley. However, the French team will push the Brits very hard. From the individual times posted this year, the French are slightly ahead of Britain. Britain's chances may rest on what sort of form Jo Jackson is in as she is a better swimmer than her 1:58.93 from this year indicates.

France

Muffat - 1:56.92
Balmy - 1:58.55
Cyrielle Etienne - 1:59.27
Farrell - 1:59.66
TOTAL - 7:54.40

Britain

Adlington - 1:57.87
Carlin - 1:58.51
Jackson - 1:58.93
Miley - 1:59.52
TOTAL - 7:54.83


Other competition will likely come from Hungary (Agnes Mutina, Katinka Hosszu, Eszter Dara, Evelyn Verraszto - combined time this year 7:56.82)

Strangely Italy, 4th at Worlds last year, haven't entered a team.



Coverage of tonight's swimming

Thursday 12 August
1500-1630, BBC Two/online
1600-1800, BBC Red Button/online
1555-1800, BBC 5 live sports extra