Adlington through to 800m final

Double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington is on course to pick up her third title of the week after an authoritative swim in the 800metres freestyle saw her qualify fastest for Friday's final at the British Gas Swimming Championships in Manchester.

Adlington has already won the 200m and 400m events this week and she was in a class of her own in the 800m, leading from start to finish to touch in eight minutes 35.99 seconds.

Olympic 10km bronze medallist Cassie Patten, who was third in the 1,500m freestyle, was second ahead of 200m silver medallist Jazmin Carlin.

Keri-Anne Payne has not yet qualified for the World Championships in Shanghai despite having already enjoyed three top-three finishes this week, as well as a British record in the 1,500m freestyle.

The Stockport swimmer was fourth fastest into the final which is also the first stage of qualification for the open water event in China.

European champion Lizzie Simmonds and Gemma Spofforth, meanwhile, both reached the semi-finals in the 200m backstroke.

Spofforth, already on the team for Shanghai after her victory in the 100m, produced a storming final length to win her heat and qualify fourth (2:15.64), two places ahead of Simmonds.

Commonwealth silver medallist Antony James led the 100m butterfly heats, Rachael Kelly was fastest in the 50m butterfly, and 100m freestyle champion Adam Brown returned to post the top time in the 50m.