STACEY Houldsworth proved a splash hit for Britain at the World Cup in Berlin after securing a bronze medal with a stunning performance in the womens' 800m freestyle.

The Accrington-based swimmer, who is gunning for a place at the Sydney Olympics, pushed her British colleague Rebecca Cooke all the way in the final.

Cooke eventually won in a time of 8mins 25.59secs, just ahead of Houldsworth in third with a time of 8.30.67.

Houldsworth also finished seventh in the final of the 400 freestyle to cap an impressive weeekend.

Elsewhere, Hard work was the key to gold success for Britain's Mark Foster who collected his second gold medal in two days when he dead-heated with Jiang Chengji in the 50 metres.

World short-course champion Foster, who won the 50m butterfly on Saturday, clocked 21.79 seconds and could not be separated from his Chinese opponent.

"I have practised very hard in Hamburg and on the last few metres it hurt a lot," said Foster.

"After Berlin I return to Great Britain and start my preparation for the World Short-Course Championships in Athens next month."

Cooke followed up her 800m freestyle win by producing another personal best in the 400m freestyle to finish fourth yesterday.

The 16-year-old Reading schoolgirl clocked four minutes 08.66secs and was less than a second behind winner Yana Klochkova, the European medley champion from the Ukraine.

Heidi Earp, who narrowly missed a medal in the 100m breaststroke on Saturday, was just outside a place on the podium again in the 200m.

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