Relations between the Australian and British Olympic teams have gone further down the gurgler after top Aussie official John Coates questioned the personal hygiene of British swimmers during a stunning Beijing press conference.

Coates' comments came after Brits Rebecca Adlington and Joanne Jackson won gold and bronze medals respectively in the 400m freestyle at the Water Cube yesterday.

Coates said the English swimming team's efforts were "not bad for a country that has no swimming pools and very little soap".