Rebecca Adlington

Adlington was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, where she attended The Brunts School.[4] In 2009, she was one of 94 from "the world of aquatics" to benefit from the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence award (AASE), intended to recognise potential elite athletes with the opportunity for integrated academic achievement whilst continuing with training for competition.[5]

Adlington started swimming with Sherwood Colliery Swimming Club,[6] and was selected for the Nottinghamshire County Elite Squad (Nova Centurion Swimming Club).[7][8][9] She swam in local swimming leagues for Nottingham Leander Swimming Club, having taken part in the National Speedo 'B' Final in May 2010.[10] Adlington's great-uncle was Terry Adlington, former goalkeeper with Derby County.[11] and she is a keen Derby supporter.

In 2005, Adlington's sister was affected by encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. Her sister recovered over time, but its impact inspired Adlington to say in 2012: "It made me more determined. It makes me train harder".[12] Adlington became an Ambassador of the Encephalitis Society in 2009, to help raise awareness of the illness.[13]

In 2009, comedian Frankie Boyle was censured by the BBC Trust's Editorial Standards Committee for breaching guidelines by using "humiliating and offensive" remarks with "unnecessary innuendo" during a 2008 edition of Mock The Week broadcast on BBC 2, when he jibed at Adlington's appearance. Adlington's mother criticised the BBC for making the ruling public, which had caused her daughter more distress.[14][15][16][17](registration required)[18]

In 2014, Adlington married former swimmer Harry Needs.[19] The couple had a daughter together, born in 2015.[20] In March 2016, Adlington announced her separation from Needs.

On 4 March 2021, Adlington and her boyfriend, Andy Parsons, announced the birth of their son. She announced on 5 September 2021 that the couple had married.[21] In August 2022, she suffered a miscarriage and underwent an emergency surgery.[22]

Adlington represented Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Olympics, competing in the 400-metre freestyle and 800-metre freestyle events. She was also scheduled to swim in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay but was rested in the heat and the team failed to qualify for the final. In the heats of the 400-metre freestyle, she broke the Commonwealth record with a time of 4:02.24.[23] On 11 August 2008, she won an Olympic gold medal in the same event, with a time of 4:03.22, overtaking Katie Hoff of the United States in the last 20 metres.[24] She was the first woman to win swimming gold for Great Britain since Anita Lonsbrough in 1960.[25] She was the first British swimmer to win more than one gold medal at a single Olympic Games since Henry Taylor won three in 1908.[26]

In 2009, Adlington said she suffered with the expectation placed on her ahead of the World Aquatics Championships in Rome, and although she swam a personal best she won only bronze in the 400-metre freestyle. She added a second bronze in the 4×200-metre freestyle. In her favourite event, the 800-metre freestyle she gained fourth place.

In 2010, Adlington won the 400-metre freestyle at the European Swimming Championships in Budapest but again failed to win a medal in her favoured 800-metre freestyle, finishing seventh. She won bronze as part of the 4×200-metre freestyle relay team.

At the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, she won a "bonus" bronze medal in the 200-metre freestyle, and was part of the English record setting 4×200-metre freestyle relay team that also won bronze. In the 800-metre freestyle, Adlington led from start to finish to win her first Commonwealth Games gold medal. In the 400-metre freestyle, Adlington won comfortably to earn a second gold medal and repeat her Olympic double. She ended the season ranked No. 2 in the 400-metre freestyle and No. 1 in the 800-metre freestyle.

At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships, Adlington won the 800-metre freestyle gold medal, beating Lotte Friis over the final 50 metres, and silver in the 400-metre freestyle behind world record-holder Federica Pellegrini of Italy.[27]

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Adlington won bronze in the 400-metre freestyle in a time of 4:03.01.[28] and another bronze in the women's 800-metre freestyle in a time of 8:20.32. After the Games, Adlington said that she would no longer undertake the 800-metre race, and would not compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.[29]

Adlington on an open-top bus outside of Mansfield Town Hall after parading around Mansfield town centre streets in 2008

Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre in November 2017

Adlington was welcomed home to Mansfield in August 2008 by thousands of people who lined the streets to applaud as she passed by in an open top bus and then appeared at a ceremony at Mansfield Town Hall.[31]

In 2008 after her post-Olympic homecoming, in a special ceremony at Mansfield's Civic Centre headquarters, Adlington was presented with a pair of gold-coloured Jimmy Choo shoes by Tony Egginton, then the executive mayor.[32][33]

In November 2008, Adlington was named as the Sports Journalists' Association's Sportswoman of the Year, receiving her trophy at a ceremony in the City of London from the Princess Royal, herself a former winner of that award. On 14 December 2008, she was voted third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Adlington was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours list,[34][35] followed in December 2009 by an honorary degree as Master of Arts from the University of Nottingham in recognition of her outstanding contribution to British sport.[36]

The Sherwood Swimming Baths in Adlington's hometown of Mansfield, where she began swimming as a child, was renamed the Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre when it reopened after refurbishment in January 2010.[37][38] The Yates Bar in Mansfield was renamed the Adlington Arms in her honour.[39]

The 2012 Olympic torch relay was routed through Mansfield Woodhouse where it was affected by a heavy thunderstorm before a scheduled lunch break at the Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre.[40][41][42][43]

In 2013 soon after her retirement from competition, Adlington was named as the inaugural inductee into Nottinghamshire County Council's Roll of Honour.[44]

One of the Class 395 high-speed trains operated by Southeastern, used to provide a 140-mph London-to-Kent link and the Javelin shuttle service for visitors to the 2012 London Olympic Games, was named after Adlington.[45] Several other British Olympians also received this honour.

Tram 231 on the Nottingham Tram system was named after Adlington in 2016.[46][47]

Adlington was a guest panellist on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women on 25 March, 17 April and 22 May 2014. She was a contestant in Series 3 of The Jump, but withdrew on 7 February 2016 having dislocated her shoulder during training.[48]

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Adlington formed part of the BBC presenting team for the swimming events, along with Helen Skelton and Mark Foster. She repeated this role at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, the 2018 European Championships, and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo among others.

• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
• List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (women)
• World record progression 800 metres freestyle

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rebecca Adlington.

• Official Rebecca Adlington Website
• British Olympic Association athlete profile
• British Swimming athlete profile
• British Swimming results and rankings database entry