Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - 2:28 PM

Leisel Jones claimed her first individual Olympic gold medal and Australia's third in Beijing with a thumping victory in the women's 100 metres breaststroke final at the Water Cube.

Jones went into the final as a red-hot favourite after swimming more than a second faster than her nearest rival in the semi-final, and comfortably took gold in an Olympic record time of 1:05.17.

Jones says all that mattered today was to hit the wall first, something she could not manage as an individual in an Olympic event at either the Sydney or Athens Games.

"A little bit of shock, and probably more relief I guess," she said.

"It has been a long journey. It's been a long eight years.

"And I think just a lot of relief that the training was definitely worth it. I couldn't care less about the time.

"An Olympic gold is an Olympic gold. It really didn't matter how it went, how I raced I couldn't care less."

Jones says she was excited before the race.

"I had a pretty bad sleep last night," she said.

"I woke up and I was just so excited. I think I was excited about racing.

"I was almost skipping out there I was so excited. I really enjoyed it."

Aiming for London


Jones suggested she would keep swimming with London in 2012 in mind.

"I think I've enjoyed it so much, I think I would hate to finish and know there was still a flame burning inside," she said.

"I think I've still got so much more growing to do, and so much more learning.

"Amanda Beard's on her fourth Olympics, so it's certainly not out of the question."

Jones emerged from the blocks at the head of the field slightly in front of compatriot Tarnee White, and split the 50m inside world record time.

She powered away in the final 50m to finish well ahead of American Rebecca Soni (1:06.73) and Austrian Mirna Jukic (1:07.34).

White faded towards the back end of the race to finish in sixth position in a time of 1:07.63.

While she was happy with the gold, Jones says it was her win at the World Championships in Canada in 2005 that remains her proudest achievement.

"Olympic golds are important, but in terms of personal experience and in terms of personal growth I think that was my most important swim.

"Olympic gold is really nice, it's what we all come here for.

"But certainly Montreal was more about my personal experience.

"And I think that will still reign over this Olympic gold, because I found out so much of myself.

"After Athens I learned so much. And that was my first individual World Championship [gold].

"I think that one probably still is more important to me than this."

After bursting onto the scene with a silver medal in the 100m in Sydney as a 14-year-old, Jones could not crack gold in the 100m or 200m in Athens.

Jones swam 1:05.80 to comfortably win the second semi, ahead of second-fastest qualifier Soni. Jukic started from lane three after recording 1:07.27 in the semis.