Rebecca AdlingtonOBE (born 17 February 1989) is an English former competitive swimmer who specialised infreestyle events in international competition. She won two gold medals at the2008 Summer Olympics in the400-metre freestyle and800-metre freestyle, breaking the 19-year-old world record ofJanet Evans in the 800-metre final. Adlington was Britain's first Olympic swimming champion since 1988, and the first British swimmer to win two Olympic gold medals since 1908.[2] After winning her first World Championship gold over 800 metres in 2011, along with silver in the 400 metres at the same meet, she won bronze medals in both the women's 400-metre and 800-metre freestyle events in the2012 Summer Olympics in London. Adlington is one of the few people to have won Olympic Games, World Championships, European championships and Commonwealth Games gold medals.
On 5 February 2013, Adlington retired from all competitive swimming at the age of 23.[3] Since retiring as a competitor, she has worked forBBC TV as a swimming pundit at the Olympic Games and World Aquatics Championships, and made various other media appearances. Adlington is also one of a number of former sports stars behind a commercial group dedicated to providing coaching and leisure outlets.
Rebecca Adlington was born on 17 February 1989 inMansfield, Nottinghamshire, where she attendedThe 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][failed verification] and was selected for the Nottinghamshire County Elite Squad (Nova Centurion Swimming Club).[7][failed verification][8][failed verification][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][failed verification] Adlington's great-uncle wasTerry Adlington, formergoalkeeper withDerby County.[11] and she is a keen Derby supporter.
Adlington represented Great Britain in the2008 Summer Olympics, competing in the400-metre freestyle and800-metre freestyle events. She was also scheduled to swim in the4×200-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 theCommonwealth record with a time of 4:02.24.[12] On 11 August 2008, she won an Olympic gold medal in the same event, with a time of 4:03.22, overtakingKatie Hoff of the United States in the last 20 metres.[13] She was the first woman to win swimming gold for Great Britain sinceAnita Lonsbrough in 1960.[14] She was the first British swimmer to win more than one gold medal at a single Olympic Games sinceHenry Taylor won three in 1908.[15]
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 the2011 World Aquatics Championships, Adlington won the 800-metre freestyle gold medal, beatingLotte Friis over the final 50 metres, and silver in the 400-metre freestyle behind world record-holderFederica Pellegrini of Italy.[16]
At the2012 Summer Olympics in London, Adlington won bronze in the 400-metre freestyle in a time of 4:03.01.[17] 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 the2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.[18]
Adlington set a newBritish,Commonwealth,European andOlympic record of 8:18.06 in the preliminary heats of the women's 800-metre freestyle on 14 August 2008. She went on to win the Olympic 800-metre freestyle final on 16 August 2008 in aworld record time of 8:14.10, her second gold of the tournament, a full six seconds ahead of the silver medallist, and two seconds ahead of the former world record which had been set byJanet Evans when Adlington was 6 months old. At the time, this was swimming's longest standing world record.[19]
| Event | Time | Date | Meet | Location | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 m freestyle | 1:56.66 | 5 April 2008 | British Championships | Sheffield, United Kingdom | ||
| 400 m freestyle | 4:00.79 | 26 July 2009 | 2009 World Championships | Rome, Italy | ||
| 800 m freestyle | 8:14.10 | NR | 16 August 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | |
| 400 m individual medley | 4:56.34 | 11 June 2006 | Mare Nostrum | Barcelona, Spain |
| Event | Time | Date | Meet | Location | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 m freestyle | 1:59.25 | 3 April 2006 | Nottinghamshire Championships | Nottingham, United Kingdom | ||
| 400 m freestyle | 3:59.04 | 18 December 2009 | Duel in the Pool | Manchester, United Kingdom | ||
| 800 m freestyle | 8:08.25 | 10 April 2008 | World SC Championships | Manchester, United Kingdom |
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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 atMansfield Town Hall.[20]
In 2008 after her post-Olympic homecoming, in a special ceremony at Mansfield'sCivic Centre headquarters, Adlington was presented with a pair of gold-colouredJimmy Choo shoes byTony Egginton, then theexecutive mayor.[21][22]
In November 2008, Adlington was named as theSports Journalists' Association's Sportswoman of the Year, receiving her trophy at a ceremony in the City of London fromthe Princess Royal, herself a former winner of that award. On 14 December 2008, she was voted third in theBBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Adlington was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2009 New Year Honours list,[23][24] which she received fromThe Queen atBuckingham Palace in June 2009.[25]
In December 2009 she received an honorary Master of Arts degree from theUniversity of Nottingham in recognition of her outstanding contribution to British sport.[26]
The Sherwood Swimming Baths in Adlington's hometown ofMansfield, where she began swimming as a child, was renamed theRebecca Adlington Swimming Centre when it reopened after refurbishment in January 2010.[27][28] TheYates Bar in Mansfield was renamed theAdlington Arms in her honour.[disputed (for: After a 2022 deletion, prose implies the name is still Adlington Arms) –discuss][29]
The2012 Olympic torch relay was routed throughMansfield Woodhouse where it was affected by a heavy thunderstorm before a scheduled lunch break at the Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre.[30][31][32][33]
In 2013 soon after her retirement from competition, Adlington was named as the inaugural inductee into Nottinghamshire County Council's Roll of Honour.[34]
One of theClass 395 high-speed trains operated bySoutheastern, used to provide a 140-mph London-to-Kent link and theJavelin shuttle service for visitors to the 2012London Olympic Games, was named after Adlington.[35] Several other British Olympians also received this honour.
Tram 231 on theNottingham Tram system was named after Adlington in 2016.[36][37]
Adlington was a guest panellist on theITV lunchtime chat showLoose Women on 25 March, 17 April and 22 May 2014. She was a contestant inSeries 3 ofThe Jump, but withdrew on 7 February 2016 having dislocated her shoulder during training.[38]
Adlington first worked for the BBC as a swimming pundit at theGlasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.[39] At the2016 Summer Olympics inRio, Adlington formed part of the BBC presenting team for the swimming events, along withHelen Skelton andMark Foster.[40] She repeated this role at the2017 World Aquatics Championships, the2018 European Championships, the2018 Commonwealth Games inGold Coast, the2020 Summer Olympics inTokyo, the2022 Commonwealth Games inBirmingham and the2024 Summer Olympics inParis among others.[41][42][43][44]
Adlington participated in thethirteenth series ofI'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, which began airing on 17 November 2013 and was held in Australia.[45] She finished in 6th place, being voted out by the public on 6 December 2013.
Together with former sports personalitiesSteve Parry andAdrian Turner, Adlington is part of Total Swimming Group, a commercial group dedicated to providing coaching and leisure outlets.JD Sports bought-in during 2022, acquiring a 60% stake.[46] Subsequent toCOVID-19 lockdown and theenergy crisis with2021–2023 global energy crisis, Adlington joined with approximately 200 others forming a pressure group calling for the UK energy subsidy, theenergy price cap ending by April 2023, to be continued to help the energy-hungry swimming pools to survive potential closures.[47]
In 2005, Adlington's sister was affected byencephalitis, 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".[48] Adlington became an Ambassador of the Encephalitis Society in 2009, to help raise awareness of the illness.[49]
In 2009, comedianFrankie Boyle was censured by theBBC Trust's Editorial Standards Committee for breaching guidelines by using "humiliating and offensive" remarks with "unnecessary innuendo" during a 2008 edition ofMock The Week broadcast onBBC 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.[50][51][52][53][54]
In 2014, Adlington married former swimmer Harry Needs.[55] The couple had a daughter together, born in 2015.[56] 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.[57] In August 2022, she suffered amiscarriage and underwent emergency surgery.[58]
In October 2023, Adlington announced she had amiscarriage and was given the news at the 20 week scan. She gave birth to Harper on 20 October 2023, at Wythenshawe Hospital.[59][60]
In 2025 she revealed she had been diagnosed withCoeliac disease.[61]
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| Preceded by | Women's 800 metres freestyle world record holder (long course) 16 August 2008 – 3 August 2013 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | European Swimmer of the Year 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Laureus World Sports Breakthrough of the Year 2009 | Succeeded by |
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