Swimming: Budapest 'turning point' was key for Rebecca Adlington

Rebecca Adlington's coach believes events in 2010 may prove to be "the best thing that could have happened" as the double Olympic champion looks forward to the 2012 Games.

The Nova Centurion swimmer was catapulted into the public eye following Beijing in 2008 but missed a chunk of training which left her behind schedule in 2009, a season shaped by the swimsuits that altered some performances beyond recognition.

Adlington finished outside the medals in the 800m freestyle, her favoured event, at the World Championships in Rome and at the European Championships in Budapest this year she finished seventh over 16 lengths. However, she then picked herself up to win the 400m freestyle three days later before going on to win the 400m/800m double in Delhi in October.

Coach Bill Furniss said: "Coming back from that three days later was a tremendous achievement. I believe it was a turning point, doing the 400 after the 800, picking herself up. We'll look back and think that's the best thing that could have happened."

"Before (Beijing) she had just raced but then she got up on the blocks and thought 'I'm Rebecca Adlington, I've got to do this'. I think she just raced in Beijing and I think she did that again in Delhi."

Adlington has just returned from five weeks of training in Brisbane, giving her a solid foundation to build on for 2011 - with the trials for the World Championships in Shanghia falling in early March.