Adlington's sights are on making this a record year

Rebecca Adlington is targeting her own world record after setting the seventh-fastest 800metres freestyle time in history at the British Swimming Championships in Sheffield.

The double Olympic champion led from start to finish and touched in 8min 18.86sec - four seconds off her own world record but bettered by only three women other than herself.

The 20-year-old had not competed over the distance since winning gold in this event at the Olympics and she admitted she was "a bit shocked" at her time given she only returned to full training at the turn of the year and had recently had a virus.

Adlington (above) is now turning her attention to the World Championships in Rome this summer after an unhappy experience in 2007 when she came 10th, with the world record one of her targets.

She said: "It is obviously going to go again, every year it's probably going to go but, for myself, it's just about getting back into racing.

"It's the first time I've raced it since Beijing and, if people think I'll break the world record the first time I've raced, it is a bit silly really but hopefully I can do it.

"I think it's going to be a very different worlds this time. And you've got the younger ones coming up who are blowing everyone else away as well. Hopefully I can get in there and show them the old ones can do it - I'm 20 now!"

Ellen Gandy set a new European and Commonwealth record in the 200m butterfly - although it took some time to be confirmed because of a faulty timing system.

The 17-year-old, based in Melbourne, touched in 2:04:83 -only 0.65 seconds outside the world record.

Gandy said: "I can't believe it. I had no idea I was that fast."