Swimming: Spofforth shines but Adlington trails in

(AFP/ GETTY IMAGES)

Great Britain picked up five more medals at the European Championships yesterday to take their overall total to 12, but there was crushing disappointment for Rebecca Adlington.

Gemma Spofforth and Lizzie Simmonds claimed their second one-two of the week in the 100m backstroke, albeit with the order reversed, Liam Tancock was second in the 50m backstroke and Hannah Miley added the 200m individual medley bronze medal to her 400m title with the women's 4x200m freestyle relay team third.

However, Adlington finished a distant seventh in the 800m freestyle, more than four seconds behind the winner, the world champion Lotte Friis, with Irish teenager Grainne Murphy edged out of the medals on the final touch by the double world champion Federica Pellegrini. Adlington was clearly upset after the race, reminiscent of last year in Rome where she finished fourth, and said: "I thought I'd go quicker than that. It's so hard on the distance events when you are not rested, you are just so sluggish."

British women have dominated the backstroke this week but it was Spofforth who led home Simmonds, winner of the 200m backstroke, over two lengths. German Daniela Samulski led at halfway with Simmonds in second. Spofforth, though, had a superb turn and overhauled both women to touch in 59.80 seconds ahead of Simmonds.