Double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington concludes her sporting year at the British Gas Duel in the Pool in Manchester this weekend and admits she has had to cope with mixed fortunes.

The 20-year-old ducked under the old 400metres freestyle world record at the British Championships in April - but still finished behind fellow Beijing medallist Jo Jackson.

Then the build-up to the summer's World Championships in Rome was overshadowed by the debate over the soon-to-be-banned performance-enhancing suits, with Adlington sticking with the Speedo LZR, less technologically advanced than the polyurethane creations.

Rome saw the Nova Centurion swimmer claim third in the 400m free - a result that delighted Adlington - but she was then edged out of the medals in the 800m, leaving her devastated. However, a period of reflection followed and she put events into some kind of perspective.

Adlington said: "A couple of days after Rome, me and (coach) Bill (Furniss) sat down and had a chat about it and looked back on the whole year.

"I think when you are experiencing stuff, when it is happening you don't really notice because it is happening to you and it is happening so quick.

"Whereas I think it was really good we got time to look back and reflect on it.

"You don't realise at the time. We've learned a lot from it and I had a two-week break and went on holiday and that was just so nice to shut down and get away from it and that really did help once I did get back in."

Adlington will be able to defend her 800metres freestyle title in London after the International Olympic Committee confirmed the programme had been finalised and the 16-length race thus retained.

Although the Mansfield-born swimmer refused to look too far ahead, she added: "I think it's a really good thing.

"I don't even know if I'll be competing in London yet, fingers crossed I will be. Obviously I would love to go.

"I just think it's a brilliant thing that it stays, it's such a great event.

"I think it would have been a shame to change it at this point in the four-year cycle: it should have been changed after London if it was going to be."

The Duel in the Pool on Friday and Saturday sees Adlington line up as part of an E-Stars side which comprises swimmers from GB, Italy and Germany.

They will take on a USA team featuring 14-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps, which excites Adlington.

She said: "This is going to be so exciting and so different to what we are used to."

::Rebecca Adlington is a British Gas ambassador. For more information on the British Gas Duel in the Pool visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming.