British swimmer Jo Jackson broke the 400m freestyle world record at the short-course British Gas Grand Prix in Leeds.
The 22-year-old maintained her lead from start to finish and touched down in three minutes 54.92 seconds, shaving 1.17secs off Laure Manaudou’s old time.
Jackson previously held the long-course world record before Federica Pellegrini beat the time at the World Championships in Rome. The Italian became the first woman to dip under four minutes.
Since then, the Brit has had her eyes on the prize: “The world record has been there for a while, so it was set in my mind.
“I pulled out of all my (other) swims here,” said Jackson. “My coach let me do that and he said if you do the 400m, give it a good go, it’s your last swim of the season.”
Jackson, who won a silver and two bronzes at the recent World Championships in Rome, added: “I can relax a bit and chill out with my family and friends and then get back into training in September and get ready for next year.”
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Related news reports:
Swimming: More medals for British women
Swimming: Adlington to boycott new high-tech swimsuits
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The record holder is one of many swimmers who spoke out against the performance-enhancing swimwear. Jackson looks forward to the return of low-tech swimwear in 2010.
Swimming’s world governing body Fina has outlawed performance-enhancing bodysuits from 1 January after their use saw numerous world records smashed. Jackson, who has been wearing an adidas Hydrofoils suit said: “Next year the suits will go, and it will go back to being about the swimmers.”
“It was really frustrating because it was all about the suit, not the swimmers. I think people were forgetting we are putting in five or six hours in the pool every day, training so hard. Hopefully the public will realise it’s down to the swimmers.”
French swimmer Manaudou was wearing a textile suit when she set the record in December 2006. The fact that the record has remained undefeated until now underlines the strength of that performance in the face of the supersuits.
Since the introduction of the Speedo LZR suit in February 2008 more than 180 world records have fallen, 43 of those in Rome alone. With other brands following the trend and another five months to go before the ban takes effect, the number is set rise above 200.
Danielle Lee, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
