1. Overview
Rebecca Adlington (born 17 February 1989) is an English former competitive swimmer who specialized in freestyle swimming events. She is best known for winning two gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing in the 400-metre and 800-metre freestyle events, breaking a 19-year-old world record in the latter. She was the first British Olympic swimming champion since 1988 and the first British swimmer to win two Olympic gold medals since 1908. Adlington also secured bronze medals in both the 400-metre and 800-metre freestyle at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Following her retirement from competitive swimming in 2013 at the age of 23, she transitioned into a career as a sports pundit for the BBC and has made various other media and television appearances. She has also been involved in commercial swimming coaching and advocacy for the sport in the United Kingdom.
2. Early life and education
Rebecca Adlington was born on 17 February 1989 in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. She is 70 in (179 cm) tall and weighs 154 lb (70 kg). She attended The Brunts School in Mansfield. Adlington began her swimming journey with the Sherwood Colliery Swimming Club. Later, she was selected for the Nottinghamshire County Elite Squad, which trained with the Nova Centurion Swimming Club. She also swam in local swimming leagues for Nottingham Leander Swimming Club, participating in the National Speedo 'B' Final in May 2010.
In 2009, Adlington was one of 94 individuals in the field of aquatics to receive the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) award. This award aimed to recognize potential elite athletes by providing them with opportunities for integrated academic achievement while continuing their training for competition.
Her great-uncle was Terry Adlington, a former goalkeeper for Derby County F.C., and Rebecca herself is a keen supporter of Derby County. In 2005, Adlington's sister was affected by encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. While her sister recovered over time, this experience profoundly impacted Adlington, making her more determined in her training. In 2009, Adlington became an Ambassador of the Encephalitis Society, helping to raise awareness about the illness.
3. Competitive career
Rebecca Adlington's competitive swimming career spanned over a decade, marked by significant achievements at the highest levels of international competition, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, and Commonwealth Games. She specialized in freestyle events, particularly excelling in the longer distances.
3.1. Olympic Games
Adlington represented Great Britain at two Summer Olympic Games.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, she competed in the 400-metre freestyle and 800-metre freestyle events. In the heats of the 400-metre freestyle, she set a new Commonwealth record with a time of 4:02.24. On 11 August 2008, she secured an Olympic gold medal in the 400-metre freestyle, finishing with a time of 4:03.22 after overtaking Katie Hoff of the United States in the final 20 metres. This made her the first British woman to win swimming gold since Anita Lonsbrough in 1960.
On 14 August 2008, in the preliminary heats of the women's 800-metre freestyle, Adlington set new British, Commonwealth, European, and Olympic records with a time of 8:18.06. She went on to win the Olympic 800-metre freestyle final on 16 August 2008, securing her second gold medal of the Games. Her time of 8:14.10 set a new world record, six seconds ahead of the silver medallist and two seconds faster than the previous world record held by Janet Evans. This record had stood for 19 years, since Adlington was six months old, and was at the time swimming's longest-standing world record. Her two gold medals made her the first British swimmer to win more than one gold medal at a single Olympic Games since Henry Taylor won three in 1908. Adlington was also scheduled to swim in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay but was rested in the heat, and the team subsequently failed to qualify for the final.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Adlington won a bronze medal in the 400-metre freestyle with a time of 4:03.01. She followed this with another bronze medal in the women's 800-metre freestyle, clocking 8:20.32. After the London Games, Adlington stated that she would no longer compete in the 800-metre race and would not participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
3.2. Other major international competitions
In 2009, Adlington competed at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome. Despite swimming a personal best, she won only a bronze medal in the 400-metre freestyle, attributing her performance to the high expectations placed on her. She earned a second bronze medal as part of the 4×200-metre freestyle relay team. In her preferred 800-metre freestyle event, she finished in fourth place.
At the 2010 European Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Adlington secured a gold medal in the 400-metre freestyle. However, she again failed to medal in the 800-metre freestyle, finishing seventh. She added a bronze medal as part of the 4×200-metre freestyle relay team.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi saw Adlington achieve significant success. She earned a "bonus" bronze medal in the 200-metre freestyle and contributed to the English record-setting 4×200-metre freestyle relay team, which also won a bronze medal. In the 800-metre freestyle, Adlington dominated the race from start to finish to claim her first Commonwealth Games gold medal. She then comfortably won the 400-metre freestyle, completing a double gold win similar to her Olympic performance. She concluded the season ranked No. 2 in the 400-metre freestyle and No. 1 in the 800-metre freestyle globally.
At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Adlington won the gold medal in the 800-metre freestyle, narrowly beating Lotte Friis in the final 50 metres. She also secured a silver medal in the 400-metre freestyle, finishing behind the world record-holder Federica Pellegrini of Italy.
3.3. Records and personal bests
Adlington is notable for breaking Janet Evans's 19-year-old world record in the 800-metre freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, setting a new mark of 8:14.10. At the time, this was swimming's longest-standing world record. She has also held British, Commonwealth, European, and Olympic records in various events.
Her personal best times in long course (164 ft (50 m)) and short course (82 ft (25 m)) events are detailed below:
;Long course (164 ft (50 m))
| Event | Time | Record Info | Date | Location | Meet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 m freestyle | 1:56.66 | 5 April 2008 | Sheffield, UK | British Championships | |
| 400 m freestyle | 4:00.79 | 26 July 2009 | Rome, Italy | 2009 World Championships | |
| 800 m freestyle | 8:14.10 | ER | 16 August 2008 | Beijing, CHN | Olympic Games |
| 400 m individual medley | 4:56.34 | 11 June 2006 | Barcelona, ESP | Mare Nostrum |
;Short course (82 ft (25 m))
| Event | Time | Record Info | Date | Location | Meet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 m freestyle | 1:59.25 | 3 April 2006 | Nottingham, UK | Nottinghamshire Championships | |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:59.04 | 18 December 2009 | Manchester, UK | Duel in the Pool | |
| 800 m freestyle | 8:08.25 | CR | 10 April 2008 | Manchester, UK | World SC Championships |
4. Post-retirement activities
Since her retirement from competitive swimming on 5 February 2013, Rebecca Adlington has pursued various career paths, notably in media, television, commercial ventures, and advocacy.
4.1. Media and television appearances
Adlington has become a prominent figure in sports broadcasting. She has served as a swimming pundit for the BBC at major events, including the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, the 2018 European Aquatics Championships, and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, among others. She shared presenting duties with Helen Skelton and Mark Foster at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Beyond sports commentary, Adlington has appeared on various television programs. She was a guest panellist on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women on 25 March, 17 April, and 22 May 2014. In 2016, she participated in Series 3 of the reality competition show The Jump, but had to withdraw on 7 February after dislocating her shoulder during training.
In 2013, Adlington was a contestant in the thirteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, filmed in Australia. She finished in 6th place, being voted out by the public on 6 December 2013.
She has also made numerous guest appearances on other shows:
- The Charlotte Church Show (28 August 2008) - Guest
- All Star Family Fortunes (18 September 2010) - Contestant
- A League of Their Own (2 November 2012) - Panellist
- I Love My Country (14 September 2013) - Guest
- Celebrity Come Dine with Me (16 December 2013) - Contestant
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (19 December 2013) - Contestant, with Kian Egan
- The Chase: Celebrity Special (28 December 2013) - Contestant
- A Question of Sport: Super Saturday (12 July 2014) - Guest
- 8 Out of 10 Cats (13 October 2014) - Guest
- Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4 (14 June 2015) - Guest 'castaway'
- Celebrity MasterChef (16 August 2017) - Contestant
4.2. Commercial and advocacy work
Adlington is a part of the Total Swimming Group, a commercial entity dedicated to providing swimming coaching and leisure outlets. She co-founded the group with fellow former sports personalities Steve Parry and Adrian Turner. In 2022, JD Sports acquired a 60% stake in the company.
In 2023, following the impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown and the energy crisis (part of the wider 2021-2023 global energy crisis), Adlington joined a pressure group of approximately 200 individuals. The group called for the continuation of the UK energy subsidy (specifically, the energy price cap), which was set to end by April 2023. Their advocacy aimed to help energy-intensive swimming pools avoid potential closures.
5. Recognition and honors
Rebecca Adlington has received numerous awards, honors, and public recognitions throughout and after her swimming career.
In August 2008, following her success at the Beijing Olympics, Adlington was welcomed home to Mansfield by thousands of people who lined the streets for an open-top bus parade. A ceremony was held at Mansfield Town Hall. At a special ceremony at Mansfield's Civic Centre headquarters in November 2008, she was presented with a pair of gold-coloured Jimmy Choo shoes by Tony Egginton, then the executive mayor.
Also in November 2008, Adlington was named the Sports Journalists' Association's Sportswoman of the Year, receiving her trophy in the City of London from Anne, Princess Royal, a former recipient of the 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. She received the honor from The Queen at Buckingham Palace in June 2009. In December 2009, the University of Nottingham awarded her an honorary Master of Arts degree in recognition of her outstanding contributions to British sport.
Several places and modes of transportation have been named in her honor. The Sherwood Swimming Baths in Adlington's hometown of Mansfield, where she first learned to swim, was renamed the Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre when it reopened after refurbishment in January 2010. The Yates Bar in Mansfield was also renamed the Adlington Arms in her honor.
The 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay was routed through Mansfield Woodhouse, experiencing a heavy thunderstorm before a scheduled lunch break at the Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre. One of the Class 395 high-speed trains, operated by Southeastern for the London-to-Kent link and the Javelin shuttle service during the 2012 London Olympic Games, was named after Adlington. Several other British Olympians also received this distinction. In 2016, Tram 231 on the Nottingham Tram system was also named after Adlington.
In 2013, shortly after her retirement from competition, Adlington was recognized as the inaugural inductee into Nottinghamshire County Council's Roll of Honour.
6. Personal life
In 2014, Rebecca Adlington married former swimmer Harry Needs. The couple had a daughter, Summer, born in 2015. In March 2016, Adlington and Needs announced their separation.
On 4 March 2021, Adlington and her boyfriend, Andy Parsons, announced the birth of their son, Albie. The couple married on 5 September 2021.
Adlington has publicly shared her experiences with miscarriages. In August 2022, she suffered a miscarriage and underwent emergency surgery. In October 2023, she announced another late miscarriage, sharing that she received the news at her 20-week scan. She subsequently gave birth to her baby daughter, Harper, on 20 October 2023, at Wythenshawe Hospital.
In 2009, comedian Frankie Boyle was censured by the BBC Trust's Editorial Standards Committee for using "humiliating and offensive" remarks with "unnecessary innuendo" about Adlington's appearance during a 2008 broadcast of Mock The Week on BBC 2. Adlington's mother criticized the BBC for making the ruling public, stating it caused her daughter further distress.
7. See also
- 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