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Rebecca Adlington

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Rebecca Adlington
Personal information
Full nameRebecca Adlington
NationalityBritain
Born (1989-02-17) 17 February 1989 (age 35)
Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight71 kg (157 lb; 11.2 st)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubNova Centurion
Medal record
Women’s swimming
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 800 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2011 Shanghai 800 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2011 Shanghai 400 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Rome 400 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Rome 4×200 m freestyle
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2008 Manchester 800 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2008 Manchester 4×200 m freestyle
European Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2010 Budapest 400 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Budapest 4×200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2006 Budapest 800 m freestyle
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2010 Delhi 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2010 Delhi 800 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Delhi 200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Delhi 4×200 m freestyle

Rebecca "Becky" Adlington, OBE, (born 17 February 1989) is a British freestyle swimmer. She won two gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in the 400 m and 800 m, breaking the 19 year-old world record of Janet Evans in the 800 m final. Adlington is Britain's first Olympic swimming champion since 1988, the first British swimmer to win two Olympic gold medals since 1908 and Great Britain's most successful Olympic swimmer in 100 years.[1]

Background

Adlington was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, where she attended The Brunts School.[2] She started swimming with Sherwood Colliery Swimming Club,[3] and was selected for the Nottinghamshire County Swim Squad (Nova Centurion)[4] where she currently trains. She still swims in local swimming leagues for Nottingham Leander Swimming Club, taking part in the National Speedo 'B' Final in May 2010.[5] Adlington's great uncle is former Derby County goalkeeper Terry Adlington.[6]

Adlington represented Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Olympics, competing in the 400 m and 800 m freestyle swimming events. She was also scheduled to swim in the 4×200 m freestyle relay but was rested in the heat and the team failed to qualify for the final. In the heats of the 400 m freestyle, she broke the Commonwealth record with a time of 4:02.24.[7] On 11 August 2008 she won an Olympic gold medal in the same event, with a time of 4:03.22, beating Katie Hoff of the United States in the last 20 m.[8] She was the first woman to win swimming gold for Great Britain since Anita Lonsbrough in 1960.[9] 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.[10]

In 2009 Adlington admitted she suffered with the expectation placed on her ahead of the World Swimming Championships in Rome and although she swam a personal best she was only able to win bronze in the 400m freestyle. She added a second bronze in the 4 x 200m freestyle. In her favourite event, the 800m freestyle she was shut out of the medals in fourth.

In 2010 Adlington won the 400m freestyle at the European Swimming Championships in Budapest but again failed to win a medal in her 800m freestyle as she faded to seventh. She won bronze as part of the 4 x 200m freestyle relay team. At the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi she won a "bonus" bronze medal in the 200m freestyle and was part of the English record setting 4 x 200m freestyle relay team that also won bronze. In the 800m freestyle Adlington led from start to finish to win her first Commonwealth Games gold medal. In the 400m freestyle Adlington won comfortably to earn a second gold medal and repeat her Olympic double. She ended the season ranked 2 at 400m freestyle and 1 at 800m freestyle. At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships Adlington won the 800 metre freestyle gold medal, beating Lotte Friis over the final 50 metres.[11]

Records Set

Adlington set a new British, Commonwealth, European and Olympic 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 800 m Olympic freestyle final on 16 August 2008 in a world record time of 8:14.10, her second gold of the tournament, a full six seconds ahead of the silver medalist, and two seconds ahead of the former world record which had been set by Janet Evans when Adlington was 6 months old. At the time, this was swimming's longest standing world record.[12]

Recognition

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.[13][14] The Yates Bar in Mansfield was renamed the Adlington Arms in her honour, although it soon reverted to its original name.[15]

In November 2008, Adlington was named as the Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain's Sportswoman of the Year, receiving her trophy at a ceremony in the City of London from HRH The Princess Royal, herself a former winner of that award.

On 14 December 2008, she was voted third in the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award.

She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.[16][17]

Personal bests and records held

Long course (50 m)
Event Time


Date Meet Location Ref
200 m freestyle 1:56.66 5 Apr 2008 British Championships Sheffield, United Kingdom
400 m freestyle 4:00.79 26 Jul 2009 2009 World Championships Rome, Italy
800 m freestyle 8:14.10 WR, ER, CR, NR 16 Aug 2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China
400 m individual medley 4:56.34 11 Jun 2006 Mare Nostrum Barcelona, Spain
Short course (25 m)
Event Time


Date Meet Location Ref
200 m freestyle 1:59.25 3 Apr 2006 Nottinghamshire Championships Nottingham, United Kingdom
400 m freestyle 3:59.04 18 Dec 2009 Duel in the Pool Manchester, United Kingdom
800 m freestyle 8:08.25 CR, NR 10 Apr 2008 World SC Championships Manchester, United Kingdom
Legend: WR – World record; ER – European record; CR – Commonwealth record; NR – British record;
Records not set in finals: h – heat; sf – semifinal; r – relay 1st leg; rh – relay heat 1st leg; b – B final; † – en route to final mark; tt – time trial

References

  1. ^ "Video review — Adlington is GB's golden girl". BBC Sport. 24 August 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Open top bus parade to salute double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington". Mansfield Chad. 17 August 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
  3. ^ "Sherwood Colliery Swimming Club".
  4. ^ "Notts. ASA".
  5. ^ "Nottingham Leander Swimming Club".
  6. ^ "A long and winding road". This is South Devon. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
  7. ^ "Adlington sets sights on GB medal". BBC Sport. 10 August 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  8. ^ "Adlington snatches swimming gold". BBC Sport. 11 August 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  9. ^ Anita Lonsbrough (11 August 2008). "Rebecca Adlington wins gold on a rewarding day for Britain — Beijing Olympics 2008". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  10. ^ Will Buckley (17 August 2008). "Olympics: 'Dame' Rebecca arises with second gold". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2008.
  11. ^ "14th FINA World Championships; Women's 800m Freestyle; Final Results" (PDF). Omega Timing. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  12. ^ "Adlington storms to second gold". BBC Sport. 16 August 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
  13. ^ "Mansfield to honour Olympic hero". Mansfield District Council. 11 August 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
  14. ^ "Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre". Mansfield District Council. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  15. ^ "Adlington Arms awaits golden girl". London: The Independent. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008. [dead link]
  16. ^ "No. 58929". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 31 December 2008.
  17. ^ "Hoy knighted in New Year honours". BBC News. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
Records
Preceded by Women's 800 metres freestyle
world record holder (long course)
16 August 2008 – Present 		Succeeded by
Awards
Preceded by European Swimmer of the Year
2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
2009 		Succeeded by

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