A 400 and 800m freestyle finalist in Athens last week, she became only the fifth swimmer to go under the tough qualifying standard for the World Short Course.

She bettered the 2003 world top eight time required to make the team.  She stopped the clock at 8:18.68 to finish three seconds in front of Plymouth's Cassandra Patten (8:21.71) with Canada's Tanya Hunks third (8:31.33).

'I felt quite good. Coming off the back of the Olympic Games we've been resting but I'm still quite surprised by the time,' she said.

'I wanted to finish the season on a high as opposed to the low I felt in Athens.'
  
Rebecca had her second victory of the meet, winning the 400m freestyle final in 4:03.32.

Plymouth’s Cassandra Patten, 17, took her third silver medal of the competition in 4:07.83 with Canada’s Tanya Hunks third 4:08.73 to replicate the result of Friday’s 800m event.

Cooke, who confirmed she will not compete in the World Short Course Championships in Indianapolis, said:”That was a best time and obviously it felt hard after all I swam in Athens.

”This is going to be my last short course event for a while and I’ve had three lifetime bests in this meet so I’m happy. I wanted to prove to myself I could still do it because I had a few questions after Athens. I can take a break now with confidence.”