Jackson is all smiles after booking place for London

The 25-year-old from Northallerton held off a fast-finishing Eleanor Faulkner to finish second in the 400m freestyle behind double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington, who is back to something like her best at just the right time.

Jackson – a bronze medallist in the 400m four years ago – appeared on the brink of overtaking her friend as the queen of distance swimming at the World Championships in Rome when she won silver medals in the 400m and 800m ahead of Adlington.

But illness and asthma struck Jackson in her prime and it was not until this time last year that she began to recover.

“That last 50m I put everything into and it kind of makes the lows a little bit easier, when things haven’t been going so well it puts it all into perspective,” said Jackson. I’ve just got a smile on my face which hasn’t happened for a while.”

Jackson was one of three Yorkshire hopefuls to qualify for the GB Olympic squad, along with Middlesbrough’s Aimee Wilmott in the 400m individual medley and Rotherham’s Joe Roebuck, who will compete in the men’s equivalent.

Although coming second last night in the Olympic Aquatics Centre at the British Gas Championships to seal a return in the summer, Jackson had no answer to a dominant Adlington.

The 23-year-old led from start to finish to touch in four minutes 02.35 seconds, faster than the time that saw her claim the Olympic title as well as silver at last year’s World Championships.

Adlington said: “There is so much relief, happiness, excitement. It’s an amazing feeling.

“I just started crying because it is four years of training, it’s not just since Shanghai (2011 World Championships).

“I know the younger guys have got the next Olympics but London has always been my target and to know I am now going is the best thing in the world.”

Of swimming alongside friend Jackson, Adlington said: “Me and Jo have so much experience together – I missed her last year when she wasn’t there.

“We are so used to each other and we are such close friends.”

Elsewhere, Ellen Gandy set a British record as she and Fran Halsall made the team in the 100m butterfly.

The men were not to be outdone with Daniel Sliwinski and 17-year-old world junior champion Craig Benson qualifying in the 100m breaststroke to bring to 11 the swimmers who have so far booked a London berth.

On Saturday, five other swimmers – including Yorkshire’s Roebuck and Wilmott – booked their places on the Great Britain Olympic team after the first day of competition at the trials.

Hannah Miley swam her fastest 400 metres individual medley in a textile suit and she was joined on the squad by Willmott, from Middlesbrough, whose father Stuart competed in the same event at the 1984 Olympics.

Roberto Pavoni and Roebuck filled the two slots in the men’s equivalent, while Robbie Renwick qualified in the 400m freestyle.

Miley, who is trained by her father Patrick in a 25m pool, led from start to finish to touch in four minutes 32.67 seconds, a time only she has bettered domestically.

Willmott failed to make the team for the world championships in Shanghai last year after being disqualified in the first trials in Manchester before her Psychology A Level clashed with the second stage in Sheffield.

However, she set a personal best of 4.37.48 last night, well within the world ranked top-16 time required for the second-placed swimmer to qualify.

“Last year was a huge knockback for me,” she said. “I really wanted that spot and I didn’t get it.

“I just needed to prove a point this year – I should have been there but I’ve gone one better and made the Olympics so I’m really happy with that.

“I was just trying to keep up with her as long as possible and hope Hannah could pull me along and obviously it helped so I’m really happy.”

Of her father’s Olympic effort in Los Angeles, the 19-year-old said: “Hopefully I’ll do better than he did!”

The men’s equivalent had opened proceedings on the ooening day in Stratford.

Pavoni, eighth in Shanghai, set a personal best of 4.12.43, 2.05secs ahead of Rotherham’s Loughborough-based Roebuck with both swimmers well within the qualifying time.

Renwick also booked his spot in the 400m freestyle with 3.46.73 but David Carry’s 3.48.36 was 0.23 outside the time required and he will have to try again in Sheffield in June.

There was a thrilling start to last night’s action with Gandy edging her battle with Halsall in the 100m butterfly. It is a measure of Britain’s strength in the event that double world finalist Jemma Lowe missed the cut in third.

Gandy made up ground in the final metres to touch in 57.25, cutting 0.15secs off the latter’s 2010 mark, Halsall touching in 57.56 to more than make up for missing last year’s worlds when she was beaten to the second berth by Lowe by one hundredth of a second.

Gandy last year became the first British woman to win a global butterfly medal when she was second in the 200m in Shanghai.

The Melbourne-based swimmer said: “It’s the greatest feeling ever.

“All I’ve wanted to do for the last four years is be able to say ‘I’m going to the London Olympic Games’ and now I can say it – I am just over the moon.”

Former world champion Gemma Spofforth and European silver medallist Lizzie Simmonds of Beverley are into the 100m backstroke final.

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