Teary flatmates can bounce back in the pool at London 2012

By Tom Reynolds, Sportsbeat

"You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
Just remember what your old pal said
You've got a friend in me"

DRAINING: Fran Halsall was in tears at the British Gas Swimming Championships but found time to console her flatmate Lizzie Simmonds (SWpix.com)

I'M SURE Randy Newman's theme tune to the cartoon Toy Story doesn't spring to mind for many when thinking back on a week at the British Gas Swimming Championships in Manchester.

But while almost to a man everyone's ‘top line' of the eight-day event was world silver medallist Fran Halsall's miraculous turnaround from sidelined superstar to London 2012 medal contender, I couldn't get Randy's ditty out of my head.

There is no doubting Halsall's tale of a injury rags to medal-winning (and World Championship qualifying) riches deserves special mention.

If it was ever in any doubt the Liverpool speed merchant established herself as a great bet for an Olympic medal in the capital next summer.

But it was the other side of the effervescent Scouser, and the tough side of her housemate Lizzie Simmonds, that will live longest with me. 

The championship mixed zone is most often the place for shattered dreams and elation, with a large dose of delusion: ‘it's all part of my long-term goal' after a woefully below-par performance.  ‘I have to look at the positives' after missing out on the final of an event said competitor should have been winning.

So imagine my surprise when, on the back of supposed World Championship shoo-in Simmonds' failure to book her spot in Shanghai for the second time of the week, Halsall bounded into the media area to commiserate with her flatmate.

‘Wasn't she supposed to be swimming tonight?' the question went around.  Indeed she was, less than ten minutes later, but much to Randy's delight no doubt, that didn't stop her helping out a friend when the road looked rough ahead for Simmonds.

In many ways it was hardly surprising to see Halsall showing her emotions.  It was the 20-year-old after all who burst into tears earlier in the week after bouncing back less than a month after re-entering full training to book her Shanghai World Championship berth.

And in the increasingly less candid world of Olympic sport it was refreshing to see, not just from Halsall but also from Simmonds.

She was just seconds away from stepping off her own different emotional rollercoaster. The reigning European 200m backstroke champion had just failed to book her spot on the plane to Shanghai.

She could have quite easily avoided the media scrum that awaited her.  It wouldn't have been without precedent, many of her more decorated GB teammates had avoided it during the week.

But she chose to stand and say her tearful piece, not hiding behind meaningless phrases, declaring she had been below her best, she didn't know why and how long it was going to last, but she hoped it wouldn't be too long.

Maybe the hug from Halsall helped. The reassuring arm around a shoulder from her towering backstroke rival Gemma Spofforth might have also done the trick.

Whatever it was, it showed Simmonds has the balls to comeback and if she hadn't proved it earlier the week - that Halsall cares.

Add those things up and to me you have two Olympic medallists from the same household.