Competitive Career
Rebecca 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. 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. She was the first woman to win swimming gold for Great Britain since Anita Lonsbrough in 1960. 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.
In 2009 Adlington admitted she suffered with the expectation placed on her ahead of the World Aquatics Championships in Rome and although she swam a personal best she was only able to win bronze in the 400 m freestyle. She added a second bronze in the 4 × 200 m freestyle. In her favourite event, the 800 m freestyle she missed out on a chance for a medal and came fourth.
In 2010 Adlington won the 400 m freestyle at the European Swimming Championships in Budapest but again failed to win a medal in her favoured 800 m freestyle as she faded to seventh. She won bronze as part of the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team.
At the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi she won a "bonus" bronze medal in the 200 m freestyle and was part of the English record setting 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team that also won bronze. In the 800 m freestyle Adlington led from start to finish to win her first Commonwealth Games gold medal. In the 400 m freestyle Adlington won comfortably to earn a second gold medal and repeat her Olympic double. She ended the season ranked 2 at 400 m freestyle and 1 at 800 m freestyle.
At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships Adlington won the 800 metre freestyle gold medal, beating Lotte Friis over the final 50 metres and silver in the 400 metre freestyle behind world record holder, Federica Pellegrini of Italy.
At the London 2012 Olympics, Adlington won bronze in the 400 m freestyle in a time of 4:03.01. and another bronze in the women's 800 m freestyle in a time of 8:20.32. After the Games Adlington said that she was done with the 800 metres and would not compete in Rio. However she did not rule out competing in Glasgow.
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