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Adlington: Olympic record
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Rebecca Adlington qualified for the 800 metres freestyle final in an Olympic record time.
The Mansfield swimmer, who took gold in the 400m freestyle earlier in the week, clocked 8 minutes 18.06 seconds to shave 1.5s off Brooke Bennett's record, set in Sydney eight years ago.
Adlington was joined in Saturday's final by British team-mate Cassie Patten.
Patten finished third in the final heat in a time of 8m 25.91s - a lifetime best by more than four seconds - to take the eighth available place.
"I can't believe it to be honest," said Adlington, who missed Janet Evans' world record - which has stood since 1989 - by less than two seconds.
"I didn't expect to do that time at all but I'm really pleased.
"My aim was to improve on what I did at the trials and I did that so I'm happy.
"I knew it was going to be a fast final so I knew I couldn't afford to ease back."
Foster misses out
There were mixed fortunes for the other Britons in action during Thursday's heats.
The team's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony, Mark Foster, failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 50m freestyle.
The 38-year-old, appearing at his fifth Olympics, trailed home fourth in his heat behind South Africa's Roland Schoeman, Australian Eamon Sullivan and 100m gold medallist Alain Bernard in a time of 22.35s.
That left him almost two-tenths outside the top 16. France's Amaury Leveaux set the fastest time, touching the wall in 21.46s, 0.01s quicker than Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho.
Todd Cooper and Michael Rock failed to progress from the 100m butterfly heats, but Lizzie Simmonds and Gemma Spofforth did make it into the semi-finals of the 200m backstroke.
Simmonds clocked 2m 08.66s to break Katy Sexton's five-year-old British record and qualify as second fastest behind Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry.
"I was a little bit off my best," said Spofforth. "Hopefully in the semi tomorrow morning I can swim a more controlled race. I took it out too fast.
"The last 50 was a little bit out of control which meant my last 50 wasn't quite what I wanted."
Michael Phelps kept his bid for eight golds alive by qualifying for the semi-finals of the 100m butterfly, the sixth leg of his record attempt.
The American appeared to be taking it easy on the first length before storming back down the final 50m to touch second in his heat behind Croatian Milorad Cavic, who set the fastest qualifying time with an Olympic record of 50.76s.
