Adlington strikes third gold, but Scots miss out in Sheffield

ON A day when double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington completed a gold medal hat-trick by winning the 400m freestyle, none of the Scots in action managed to make it to the medal rostrum at the British Gas Swimming Championships in Sheffield.

Andrew Mayor, who was fourth in the 200m butterfly on Monday, produced another decent swim, but had to settle for fifth place in 54.07 in the 100m event. Michael Rock took the title in 52.66.

Edinburgh University's Kerry Buchan also finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke won by England's new star, Achieng Ajulu Bushell. The former Kenya international, who was born in Manchester, has switched allegiance to England and took her third gold of the championships in 1:08.51. Buchan's training mate, Kathryn Johnstone, was ninth in 1:11.57.

Adlington claimed her expected victory in the 400m freestyle, but the huge disappointment was the withdrawal of her main rival, Jo Jackson. The Olympic bronze medallist has had her winter training severely disrupted by asthma and she had another serious attack after the morning heats. She pulled out on doctor's advice and it means she has not qualified for the European Championships in Budapest in August.

Adlington, with the 200m and 800m already in the bag, took the title in 4:05.50, and by almost a four-second margin from Wales' Jaz Carlin. England's Sasha Matthews, the silver medallist in the 800m, was third.

The heats of the 1,500m freestyle went ahead without former Olympic and world 1,500m bronze medallist David Davies who withdrew with exhaustion.

Although pre-selected for the Wales Commonwealth team in the pool, his absence here means he cannot qualify for the World Open Water Championships in Canada this summer.

Daniel Fogg was fastest into the final in 15:37.37, but making a notable impression was third-placed Matthew Johnson, who finished a little more than six seconds adrift.

The City of Sheffield swimmer is just 14 and his time compares favourably with Grant Hackett, winner of four consecutive 1,500m world titles, who did not break 15:50 until he was 16.

World 100m backstroke champion Gemma Spofforth and her conqueror earlier this week, Lizzie Simmonds, both made it through to the 200m backstroke final.

Stephanie Proud, former three-time European junior champion, was fastest through in 2:12.46.