Warrender's Smith enjoys golden swim

Warrender's Lewis Smith held off a major rival to claim gold in the 400 metre individual medley at the British Gas ASA National Swimming Championships at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

The Edinburgh swimmer lost out to Wales' Thomas Haffield at the British Championships in Manchester in March, but this time he got the touch in 4:16.26 with the Cardiff man having to settle for second in 4:16.53.

But, as regards selection for the World Championships in Shanghai next month, Roberto Parvoni and Haffield posted faster times in finishing first and second in Manchester.

Rebecca Adlington, the double Olympic champion, gave hint of her top form in the final weeks of build-up to Shanghai.

The Nottingham 22-year-old had already qualified for the Worlds by winning the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle at the first round of British trials in Manchester.

In a class of her own in the 800m, Adlington won in a very comfortable 8:24.77, nine seconds in front of Sheffield's Ellie Faulkner. It wasn't as fast as her winning time in March, but she now holds the first, second and fifth fastest times in the world this year.

Of Shanghai, Adlington said: "If my taper goes right I can hopefully go nearer to what I did at trials when I was rested.

"I just want to race well. I haven't raced the world since 2009.

"It's a very long time to go without racing everyone, especially a year before Olympics.

"The main thing is to see where the other girls are at and get a good race at world level."

"My target was to go under 8:35. I'm not normally a mid-season swimmer as well."

Scotland's Hannah Miley, who will be a medal contender in the 400m individual medley in Shanghai, also took on the gruelling marathon event and was rewarded with a bronze medal in a very creditable 8:35.30.

Whitburn's Megan Gilchrist, who competed for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last October, was fourth in 8:41.78.

Edinburgh University's Kathryn Johnstone continued her improvement by claiming a silver medal in the 100m breaststroke. Stacey Tadd won with an English record of 1:09.14 and the Scot, who made last year's Commonwealth Games as a 50m specialist, clocked 1:11.04, just pipping Georgina Heyn's 1:11.12.