Swimming: Carlin impresses by shading Olympians over 200m and 400m

Jaz Carlin toppled Olympic and world medallist Jo Jackson for the second consecutive race when she won the 200 metres freestyle at the British Gas Great Britain v Germany meet in Swansea yesterday, which ended with a 207-109 victory for the hosts.

The 19-year-old was part of the 4x200m freestyle relay squad which claimed bronze at last year's World Championships in Rome alongside Jackson, Rebecca Adlington and Caitlin McClatchey.

Yesterday she beat both Jackson and double Olympic champion Adlington in the 400m freestyle in a time just 0.22 seconds off her personal best, set during the era of the performance-enhancing suits and the fact the swimmers are in hard training further underlined the quality of her performance.

Hours later Carlin returned to the Wales National Pool to take the lead just before the final turn which she never relinquished to finish in one minute 59.40 seconds.

Carlin said: "I was really happy with how I swam this weekend.

"It was good to swim in the morning and get a good swim out of the way.

"I was really pleased with my 400, that was the highlight of my weekend but good to show I still have a bit of speed for the 200."

The Swansea-based swimmer is coached by Bud McAllister who guided Janet Evans to three Olympic titles in 1988, the American revealing yesterday his charge's tenacity had seen her likened to a "pitbull".

The strength in depth in British women's freestyle means there could be big-name casualties in just making the team.

"That was what the French had with (Olympic champion) Alain Bernard not making the finals in one of their meets," McAllister added.

"But that's good, that's what makes you go faster, it separates the strong from the weak.

"What can you do? You've just got to keep going faster.

"It happens all the time.

"There have been times when they have had third-placed swimmers not make the Olympic team that would have been medallists.

"It just makes you tougher."

There were a number of impressive performances over the event which GB led 102-56 at the end of Saturday.

World 100m freestyle silver medallist Fran Halsall and world and Olympic backstroke finalist Lizzie Simmonds both finished with five victories with world 50m backstroke world record holder Liam Tancock a four-time winner.

Halsall, of Loughborough, added victory in the 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay to her wins yesterday in the 100m free and medley relay.

Simmonds, vocal in her relief at the ban on the shiny suits, joined Halsall in the relay victories while completing a clean sweep of the backstroke events in the 100m.

Tancock won the 100m backstroke to add to yesterday's 50m win and medley relay victory before anchoring the 4x100m freestyle relay squad home to prove last year's freestyle success, where he was the fastest Briton, was no one-off.

Tancock's anchor leg saw head coach Dennis Pursley congratulate him and of the weekend the American said: "I'm very pleased.

"The competition wasn't quite as strong as I expected it to be.

"The Germans are obviously swimming tired right now as are some of ours.

"I am just really pleased with the racing. We were aggressive and that is what we are looking for in this competition."

Pursley paid tribute to the way the less experienced swimmers had risen to the occasion and today saw 16-year-old Aimee Wilmott come second in the 200m individual medley and 800m backstroke, behind Adlington, to add to yesterday's 400m individual medley victory.

Former world bronze medallist David Davies was a clear winner of the 1500m freestyle, Michael Jamieson won the 100m breaststroke, Joe Roebuck was first in the 200m butterfly with Jessica Dickons winning the women's equivalent.