Rebecca Adlington facts

Age: 34

Born: Mansfield, Nottinghamshire

Olympics: Beijing 2008, London 2012

Olympic medals: Gold x2 2008, Bronze x2 2012

The journey of Rebecca Adlington

A year before the Beijing Olympics, Rebecca Adlington left the pool deck in tears having failed to reach the final of the 800m freestyle. 

A year later, she was the toast of Team GB and a double Olympic champion aged just 19, the first British athlete to do so in her sport since Henry Taylor all the way back in 1908. 

She was among the favourites for the 800m crown but few fancied her for the 400m, where she was fifth turning for home and put in a stunning sprint finish to touch the wall first.

Adlington’s 800m triumph was emphatic, bringing down Janet Evans’ vaunted world record. 

Via a maiden long course world title in 2011, all eyes were on her at London 2012 and despite the emergence of Katie Ledecky to dominate long-distance freestyle, she walked away with two bronze medals to become one of Britain’s most decorated female Olympians.

Rebecca Adlington's inspiration

Adlington took an active role in inspiring the next generation of British talent - most notably Tokyo 2020 medallist Freya Anderson.

Anderson said: “When I was younger it was Becky Adlington, she was British Swimming’s golden girl, and to get two gold medals at 19 was obviously very inspiring.

“I think it’s really important [to inspire the next generation]. Just having the representation of swimming out there.”

Adlington would have expected to pave the way in swimming - but not curling.

Bruce Mouat, Team GB’s silver-medal winning skip at Beijing 2022, was a swimmer at junior level and took inspiration from Adlington in competing at the Ice Cube - morphing from the Water Cube, where she won her double gold 14 years earlier.

“I remember Rebecca winning her golds very fondly,” said Mouat.

“It’s exciting to know loads of medals having already been given to brilliant athletes in that venue, including British ones, so hopefully it can inspire us to do well out there too.”

Rebecca Adlington's legacy

Rebecca Adlington was one of only two British Olympic swimming medallists at London 2012, alongside Michael Jamieson’s breaststroke silver.

Less than a decade later, Team GB pulled together their best-ever Olympic performance in the pool with eight medals, placing third in the sport’s medal table.

Anderson, Anna Hopkin and Kathleen Dawson were the first women to pick up Olympic golds since Adlington with a thrilling triumph in the mixed 4x100m medley relay.

Adam Peaty became the first Brit to defend an Olympic swimming title and like Adlington, Tom Dean stunned the world to walk away with two golds on Games debut. 

“We absolutely smashed Tokyo,” said Adlington, watching on proudly in the BBC studio back home.

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