Realistic Adlington urges caution on her European Championship chances

By Ryan Bangs, Sportsbeat

DOUBLE Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington insists she won't be thinking about medals at August's European Championships - and has pleaded with everyone else to do the same.

REALISTIC: Rebecca Adlington insists her Commonwealth Games focus will mean she may not be competitive at the European Championships (onEdition)

Adlington - who has just returned from the British Gas team warm weather training camp in Mallorca - currently heads up the 800m freestyle world rankings and is also the second-highest European in the 400m equivalent, after winning both at March's British Championships.

The 21-year old also topped the podium in the 200m freestyle in Sheffield and will swim all three at the Europeans, as well as October's Commonwealth Games in Delhi as a result.

Add to that the 4x200m freestyle relay and she will have four medal shots in Hungary but after admitting she won't be fully rested for the event, Adlington has called for expectations to be muted.

"I am not sure whether medals are a possibility at the Europeans. They are going to be extremely tough to come by," she said.

"Everyone else will have had a full taper and it is different now because there are no super suits and I haven't really raced anyone since they were banned.

"It is hard to judge right now because not many people have swum that much this year and you don't know how they are going to swim.

"It will be a hard one and the depth of swimming in Europe makes it even tougher. Still my aim is to make the finals and hopefully have good race rather than focus on medals.

"I will be hoping to medal at the Commonwealths but the Europeans is more about racing and hopefully making finals and just racing well."