Live text commentary from day four of the British Gas Swimming Championships in Sheffield

From Chris Cottrell, Sportsbeat, in Sheffield

THE SHOWPIECE EVENT: Commonwealth champion Simon Burnett qualified fastest for Thursday's blue riband 100m final but finishes fourth behind Adam Brown in the 2010 British Gas Swimming Championships final (Getty Images)

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Story of the day??

REBECCA ADLINGTON SETS NEW WORLD LEADING TIME TO RETAIN 800M FREESTYLE TITLE

or is it...

ROBERTO PAVONI SETS NEW WORLD LEADING TIME TO CLINCH 400M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY CROWN

19:26: That wraps up all of the action from the pool tonight - plenty of reaction and reports to come though. Stay tuned to www.morethanthegames.co.uk.

Also, we've just heard David Davies has pulled out of the 1,500m - that means he's out of the Europeans and the World Open Water Champs.

19:25: Golds for Sascha Kindred and Jan Langton.

19:22: Couple more multi-disability races to occupy you now.

The four men's MD 50m butterfly swimmers gave us a preview of their final this morning.

Olympic silver medallist and European champion Matthew Walker (S7) came through in first earlier and will take some beating tonight.

However, Sascha Kindred (S6) set a world record in the 100m fly last night and also won the European title in the S6 category.

Just two in this last race, Claire Warne and Jan Langton battle it out for the women's 50m fly crown.

They're both in the S6 category so it's a straight swim-off for the wall, duel style.

19:18: "It's so hard swimming a long distance event like that out on your own. So I'm really pleased with the time because I don't like being out there without anyone spurring me on." - REBECCA ADLINGTON after retaining her 800m title in Sheffield.

19:15: Silver goes to Adlington's Nova Centurion teammate Sasha Matthews who sets a time of 8:34.5 minutes - that's a persaonl best by 11 seconds.

Jaz Carlin third in 8:35.52 mins.

19:14: Rebecca Adlington retains her 800m national title with a world leading time of 8:21.95 minutes.

19:12: Adlington is bossing it. She's pretty much won it already. Interesting battle for second though. Sasha Matthews is pushing Jazmin Carlin all the way.

19:06: Lots of nervous faces here! Not the lady in the middle lane though. Adlington in lane four. Carlin in lane five.

19:04: She's back - it's time for Rebecca Adlington's second final of the competition. She's in the 800m freestyle final.

This was the only race she won 12 months ago and having won gold with such dominance at Beijing 2008, the world record holder finished fourth at the Worlds in Rome last summer.

She's looked more like her old self at this meet (media responsibilities toned down big time)  though and should cruise it.

Welsh record holder Jazmin Carlin finished second behind her in the 200m and is favourite to do so again here.

Olympic open water bronze medallist Cassie Patten and European junior open water champion Ellie Faulkner look set to battle it out time-wise ahead of the British trials for this year's Open Water World Championships in Canada.

19:03: That is a breakthrough peformance from Roberto Pavoni. He's only 19-years old but he'll get a shot at the Europeans and Commonwealths now.

Good luck to him I say. The men tend to peak a little bit older than women so he's definitely one for the future.

19:00: Wowzaz, that is a world leading time by European junior champion Roberto Pavoni.

What a great time - 4:14.55 is a massive personal best! Joe Roebuck second and Thomas Haffield third.

18:50: Getting to the business end of things now. The men's 400m individual medley is always a big race in my book.

British record holder Thomas Haffield was the fastest qualifier and looks set to scrap it out with European junior champion Roberto Pavoni and last season's runner-up Lewis Smith.

Winner goes to Europeans. Haffield is Welsh so Pavoni could book Commonwealth spot with silver.

18:48: Louise Watkin wins it in 1:04.46 minutes - that's 851 points. Claire Cashmore takes silver and Lauren Steadman bronze.

18:45: Finally back to some finals! It's the women's multi-disability 100m freestyle.

They've got their trials for the IPC World Championships in a couple of weeks so there's been some fast times from the disabled swimmers in Sheffield this week (a couple of world records already).

European S9 champion Louise Watkin (S9) was the fastest qualifier ahead of 17-year old Lauren Steadman and 100m breasstroke bronze medallist Claire Cashmore.

18:43: Michael Rock wins it in 52.36 seconds - the second fastest qualifier, Sheffield's  Braxton Timm was nearly two seconds behind in 54.33 secs.

That's a lot for 100m!

"I hope it's a good time. But it's too early to say for definite because we haven't seen how the rest of the world has reacted to the new suits so I'll just try and go a bit faster tomorrow," - Michael Rock plays down the speed of his 100m semi final qualification in a non-textile suit.

18:42: She had a slow start to the week but Fran Halsall is storming now. Men's 100m butterfly semis are upon us. Defending champion and British record holder Michael Rock should cruise through.

18:41: "I took it a little easier and saved some for tomorrow there. Hopefully I can go under 25 seconds tomorrow maybe." - Fran Halsall.

18:38: Amy Smith wins the first semi in 25.46 seconds. Fran Halsall wins the second in 25.13 seconds.

Amelia Maughan qualifies for her first senior final - she sets 26.61 seconds as a 13-year old. Not even a personal best,

18:37: Yet MORE semi finals! And another Olympic discipline. This time it's the women's 50m freestyle.

The 100m final was a straight shoot-out between Fran Halsall and Amy Smith and by the shapes of the heats, tomorrow's 50m final could be something very similar.

Smith, who swam 25.95 seconds, goes in the first semi. Halsall, who swam 25.45, goes in the second.

13-year old Amelia Maughan is aiming for her first national senior final having finished 11th in the 100m.

18:35: Liam Tancock absolutely blitzes it but then eases off at the end again. He wins in 54.84 seconds but I promise you he wasn't trying his hardest in the last 25m. It's like he was trying to let everyone else catch up.

He's not even tapered properly, sporting some designer stubble.

Chris Walker-Hebborn claws it back at the end and finishes 55.72 seconds.

18:34: And it's Bennett who wins that first semi in 55.56 seconds.

18:33: Men's 100m backstroke semi finals next - that means ‘Lethal' Liam Tancock.

The 50m backstroke world record holder eased through the heats in third fastest but  basically floated home the last 25m.

It will be interesting to see how much he wants to go through to tomorrow's final as fastest qualifier - you get the feeling he could if he wanted to. He's with 200m British record holder Chris Walker-Hebborn in semi final two.

The first semi features a host of promising youngsters such as David Gregory (17), Ryan Bennett (19) and Luke Wood (19).

18:31: 1:08.84 minutes is a seasno's best but not a personal best - so she'll probably be disappointed! She has incredibly high standards. Still, Achieng Ajulu-Bushell's dream week continues.

Stacey Tadd is the third fastest qualifier behind Haywood.

18:30: Here comes Achieng!

18:27: Haywood wins the first heat in 1:09.68 minutes - that's a season's best.

18:27: More semi finals again now but these are very interesting semi finals - teenage sensation Achieng Ajulu-Bushell positively romped to 50m gold before telling us all she had her mind set on the 100m as well.

She may be 16-years old, but she said it with a conviction and confidence which made everyone believe her.

She goes in the second semi final after beating defending champion Kate Haywood in the heats.

Haywood is the pick of the first semi final although Welsh record holder Lowri Tynan can go a lot quicker than her 1:11.82 mins from the heats.

18:25: Good old final that - Simon Burnett was 50.03 seconds in fourth so he'll make the Commonwealth relay squad, who could well beat Australia and win gold in Delhi.

18:22: Adam Brown wins the big one. He comes home in 49.64 seconds to defend his title with a season's best.

Grant Turner settles for silver again after a season's best 49.78 but should make the individual event in the Europeans and Commonwealths.

Ross Davenport finishes in 49.81 seconds to claim third.

18:17: Time for the big one - the men's 100m freestyle final. British record holder Simon Burnett was the fastest qualifier but admitted to Sportsbeat's David Jordan he was feeling it in his legs.

"I wasn't very confident going into the semi final because I've just been feeling so tired after each race. It's my legs where I'm feeling it most so I've just got to keep my fingers crossed that I can recover and post a decent effort in the final." - Simon Burnett.

He's had a day to rest since that semi final win but now is the time. Who else can challenge though?

USA-based Adam Brown caused a bit of a stir with the 50m and 100m golden double 12 months ago and is contention again.

The likes of Ross Davenport, Grant Turner and Craig Gibbons looked sharper in the semi finals though. Bare with me for the result because I have to go chat to the winner!

18:16: Georgia Davies qualifies fastest with a Welsh record of 28.72 seconds! No wonder she enjoys it!

18;15: More fast and furious  now - the women's 50m backstroke finals.

No Spofforth or Simmonds remember so Welsh record holder Georgia Davies was the fastest qualifier. She goes in the second semi with former 200m world champion Katy Sexton.

Sportsbeat's Ben Endley caught up with the lovely Georgia after she finished fourth in last night's 100m backstroke final:

"I'm happy with my efforts in these 100m because I've qualified for the Welsh Commonwealth team with the time. I'm looking forward to the 50m now - it's always something I enjoy because it is more of a splash and dash event." - Georgia Davies.

18:14: Darren Mew goes through fastest ahead of Sliwinski and Russel Smith.

Holderness was fourth and also progresses to tomorrow's final.

18:13: Men's 50m breaststroke semis next up - Robert Holderness set a Welsh record of 28.43 seconds to qualify fastest in this morning's heats.

The 19-year old still has about a second to catch James Gibson's seven-year old British record but he'll certainly be favourite to progress from heat two along with 100m champion Richard Webb and 100m British record holder Daniel Sliwinski.

Heat one could be more open though - Darren Mew is the fastest of the qualifiers while Sheffield's Max Partridge set a personal best in the heats and could contend again.