Rebecca Adlington
DOB: 17/2/89 Events: Swimming- 400m and 800m Freestyle Resides: Nottingham Flag: GBR
By Emma Bird
Last Updated: 09/09/11 9:39am
Rebecca Adlington has now completed a sensational feat by becoming World, European, Commonwealth and Olympic Champion.
Learning to swim aged four, Adlington wanted to follow her two sisters into the pool. She began competitive swimming at nine, doing relays for Sherwood Collery in Mansfield and then began individual events at ten.
The 22-year-old was the bronze medalist in the 400m freestyle at the World Championships in 2009, which she then followed up with a World double in 2011, taking silver in the 400m and gold in the 800m.
Adlington then became a double Commonwealth Champion, taking the title for both the 400m and 800m in Delhi in 2010.
However, undoubtedly, her most remarkable performances came in 2008. She left Beijing as double Olympic Champion, again with wins in the 400m and 800m, setting a new world record in the latter of 8:14.10.
This meant that Adlington was the first British swimmer to win more than one gold medal at an Olympic Games since Henry Taylor in 1908.
It is highly possible that she will continue to break records going into 2012, making her definitely one to watch as one of team GB's best medal hopes.
