Liam Tancock feels he's on top of the world

Liam Tancock is confident of taking on the world's best after clocking the fastest 100metres backstroke time this year to claim the British Gas National Swimming Championships title in Manchester.

Tancock won by nearly two seconds in a time of 53.44sec, shaving nearly half a second off the previous best of the year set by American Nick Thoman.

"It's great to compete against the best in Britain and now I look to compete with the best in the world," said Tancock, who comfortably qualified for the World Championships in Shanghai in July. "I raise my game when I'm racing against the best in the world. Bring on Shanghai.

"I'm chuffed to bits to make the team and the time is great this early in the season. It's a perfect result for me and great to get the qualification place all sewn up."

Tancock, the 50m backstroke world champion, returned to the pool this morning for the 100m freestyle heats, clocking 49.78sec to qualify second fastest for this evening's semi-finals.

Rebecca Adlington will start the final of the 200m freestyle as the fastest qualifier for what promises to be a tight race, with only one second separating the top eight in last night's semi-finals.

Adlington complained of feeling ill in her race after the rigours of the 400m freestyle the previous day and admitted that she feared she may not qualify for the 200m final.

"That was so close - that was ridiculously close," she said. "I was feeling really sick today after the 400m. I thought, 'If I don't pick it up I won't make the final,' but thankfully I did."

Among the opposition in the final will be Keri-Ann Payne, who smashed Rebecca Cooke's eight-year 1500m British record by eight seconds yesterday before returning to the pool shortly afterwards to qualify for the 200m freestyle final.

Joe Roebuck this morning set the fastest qualifying time for tonight's semi-finals of the men's 200m individual medley ahead of Ieuan Lloyd and James Goddard.

And in the women's 200m butterfly heats, Ellen Gandy dominated qualifying with a time of 2.10.68sec, nearly two seconds clear of her closest rival, Jemma Lowe.