Gemma Spofforth won the 100m backstroke title in Hungary
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European backstroke champion Gemma Spofforth admits her envy of double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington has inspired her to work harder towards London 2012.
Spofforth, a world record holder in the 100m, finished second behind team-mate Lizzie Simmonds in the 200m backstroke before grabbing gold in the 100m at the European Championships in Budapest last week.
And while Spofforth, who battled back from pancreatitis in 2006 before losing her mother to cancer in December 2007, was just happy to be in Beijing, she admitted she was jealous of Adlington's success.
"When she got her double gold I was actually a little bit jealous of her," Spoffoth told Sky Sports News. "It's something that is really great for her but that's what I have been training for my whole life. When you see someone like that and see her train, it's a great thing to see the drive she has got.
"London 2012 has always been my drive. I didn't even think I was going to make 2008 Olympics, so that was a little stepping stone on the way. To get fourth there was great, but again disappointing and a drive for 2012 - I don't really want to be fourth again there."
© ESPN EMEA Ltd
