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Rebecca Adlington

Rebecca Adlington
OBE
Becky Adlington2012 Olympic Parade.jpg
Personal information
Full name Rebecca Adlington
Nickname(s) "Becky"
National team  Great Britain
Born (1989-02-17) 17 February 1989 (age 28)
Mansfield, England
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 70 kg (150 lb; 11 st)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle
Club Nova Centurion
Coach Bill Furniss

Rebecca Adlington, OBE (born 17 February 1989) is an English former competitive swimmer who specialised in freestyle events in international competition. She won two gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 400-metre freestyle and 800-metre freestyle, breaking the 19-year-old world record of Janet 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. She won bronze medals in both the women's 400-metre and 800-metre freestyle events in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

On 5 February 2013, Adlington retired from all competitive swimming, at the age of 23.

Adlington was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, where she attended The Brunts School. She started swimming with Sherwood Colliery Swimming Club, and was selected for the Nottinghamshire County Elite Squad (Nova Centurion Swimming Club). She swam in local swimming leagues for Nottingham Leander Swimming Club, having taken part in the National Speedo 'B' Final in May 2010. Adlington's great-uncle was former Derby County goalkeeper Terry Adlington, and she is a keen Derby supporter.

In 2005, Adlington's sister, Laura, 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". Adlington became an Ambassador of the Encephalitis Society in 2009, to help raise awareness of the illness.

In 2014, Adlington married former swimmer Harry Needs. The couple have a daughter together, Summer (born 2015). In March 2016, Adlington announced her separation from Needs.


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