British duo face force of Federica Pellegrini again

An enthralling women’s 400m freestyle competition in Rome will be overshadowed by the continuing swimsuit row.
A PINCER movement of British sorority and female rivalry will be put to the test today as Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington and teammate Joanne Jackson face the Lioness of Verona, Federica Pellegrini, in her den at the Foro Italico in Rome in the world championship 400m freestyle.
Adlington, the winner of the 400m and 800m crowns in Beijing last year, says the domestic challenge is welcome. “People think of rivals as being at each other’s throats. It’s not like that at all,” she said. “We’re not rivals in that sense. We’re friends and competitors. We push each other, work off each other, but have to swim our own races. We both work so well together and I’m so glad when it comes to the race that it’s someone like Jo who’s there with me. If there was more rivalry it probably wouldn’t work so well.
Jackson, 22, and Adlington, 20, train in the same pool at Loughborough a couple of times most weeks. As competition has grown closer, coaches Bill Furniss, for Adlington, and Kevin Renshaw, for Jackson, have moved to opposite ends of the pool with their charges.
“It’s been a couple of months since we did a set together,” said Adlington. “We have different work to do because Jo is more focused on the 200m and 400m and I have the 800m. It’s definitely the 800m for me if I have to choose. But I’m Olympic champion. The 400m is still in focus.”
And how: the first women’s final of the 13th world championship is charged with one-upwomanship and the art of intimidation. The saga started last year when Italy’s Pellegrini, fresh from stealing the Italian swimming boyfriend (Luca Marin) of the then world record holder Laure Manaudou, claimed the world 400m record from the Frenchwoman. In Beijing, Manaudou, by then mentally mauled, was not in the form to win and finished eighth. The title was Pellegrini’s for the taking. She made a big mistake: she swam Adlington and Jackson’s race and failed to take into account the former’s fast finish. Adlington claimed gold ahead of America’s Katie Hoff, while Jackson kept Pellegrini off the podium. The Italian recovered in time to win the 200m, the last Olympic swimming crown to be won by a swimmer wearing two swimsuits. New rules this year banned the practice, which improves buoyancy.
In March this year the Britons pushed each other on and raced inside the Italian’s world record: 4min 0.66sec for Jackson and 4min 0.89sec for Adlington, the first two women inside 4min 1sec. Last month, Pellegrini hit back with a time of 4min 0.41sec.
Adlington will continue wearing the Speedo LZR Racer suit she wore in Beijing, claiming that wearing newer aids would be like doping. Pellegrini will wear the most controversial suit, the Jaked01, while Jackson will wear the latest “fast suit”, the adidas Hydrofoil.
Adlington said: “Just like I have never used doping to go faster, I will not use these costumes that I think are illegal.” A headline in Gazzetta dello Sport said: “Adlington says suits are technological doping.” Italian commentators pointed out that all suits are legal, that the LZR was the fast suit that opened a Pandora’s box of performance-enhancement in suits, and that she was trying to hit at the heart of the Italian camp.
The term “technological doping” was coined by Alberto Castagnetti, the head coach of Italy and mentor to Pellegrini, when the LZR was launched in February 2008 by Speedo.
British team officials denied that Adlington ever used the term “technological doping” and that it was mistakenly placed in quotes. Waters were further calmed by Adlington and Jackson on the eve of racing in Rome after both deflected the Pellegrini question. The Italian was a “strong competitor”, said Jackson, while Adlington noted: “She seems to be a very nice person and we smile at each other on the podium. She’s an unbelievable athlete.”
Unbelievable will be how many will regard what may be the first sub-four minute 400m freestyle, but the bodysuits will overshadow such an achievement before they are banned from January 1, 2010.
Whatever transpires, Furniss and Renshaw will prize the race over the time on the clock. “We are taking the long-term view to London 2012,” said Furniss. “There is no level playing field right now and we want to emerge from this ready for the fresh challenges to come.”
Source:The times