Rebecca Adlington Wins Gold olympic beijing 2008

Rebecca Adlington of Great Britain won gold in the Women's 400m Freestyle with a time of 4:03.22, beating the United States’ Katie Hoff who took a time of 4:03.29 and thus, secured the second position. Joanne Jackson, another contestant from Great Britain, won bronze with a time of 4:03.52.

Laure Manaudou of France was certainly ahead in the first 100 meters, but was caught and outswum by Katie Hoff, who stayed in the lead until right before the end, when Adlington swiftly overtook her in the last meter to touch the wall first. With a time of 4:04.56, Federica Pellegrini of Italy was at the fifth position in the Women's 400m Freestyle at Beijing Olympics 2008.

Adlington snatched the gold medal ahead of American Katie Hoff in a thrilling finger-tip finish, winning by 0.07 seconds in a time of four minutes 3.22secs.

The 19-year-old from Mansfield becomes the first British woman to win a medal since Sarah Hardcastle in Los Angeles in 1984. That was in the 800m freestyle, the event in which Adlington is ranked world No 1 in 2008.

Jackson was third in a time of 4:03.52s as Britain matched their entire medal haul in the pool from Athens in one race.

Adlington and Jackson paced their race to perfection, reaching 100m and 200m in sixth and eighth place respectively.