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BEIJING (AFP) - Rebecca Adlington shattered the longest-standing world record with a sensational all-the-way victory in the women's 800 metres freestyle for her second gold medal at the Beijing Olympics on Saturday.
The 19-year-old freestyler from Mansfield carved 2.12secs off American Janet Evans's 19-year world mark in a time of eight minutes 14.10 seconds.
Evans had held the record at 8:16.22 since August 20, 1989 and was the only world record in the sport to have survived from the 1980s.
Adlington's spectacular success followed her victory in the 400m freestyle final last Monday for the first swimming gold by a British woman in 48 years at the Olympics.
"If anyone would have said before the Games that I'd win two golds and break the world record, I'd have laughed in their face, I never thought it," Adlington laughed.
"I knew when I touched the wall I was going to win the gold, but I didn't expect to get the record and by that much, it's unbelievable.
"It's always been a goal of mine to do this. I never really expected I could do it at this moment in time, but it's always been in the back of my mind.
"It's the Olympic Games, everyone raises the bar. I can't believe what happened, I'm so happy. It wasn't like the 400, I knew I'd won."
The second gold medal made Adlington the most successful British swimmer of the modern era.
Adlington swam the final out on her own and had a massive 6.13sec to spare at the finish over Italian Alessia Filippi, who claimed the silver medal in 8:20.23.
Denmark's Lotte Friis finished with the bronze medal in 8:23.03
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