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Rebecca Adlington shot to fame after winning two gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games
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One of Britain’s greatest female swimmers, Adlington competed at the highest level of the sport for five years
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Despite retiring at just 23 years old, estimates value Rebecca Adlington net worth at £1.1 million
Swimming is a rather niche sport in the United Kingdom but Rebecca Adlington is now a household name across the country. Having burst onto the scene at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Adlington became a huge sporting icon almost overnight.
A popular choice in online bets during her heyday, the British swimmer was the dominant force in the pool for the best part of five years.
Setting records left, right and centre was one thing but Adlington’s impact on the sport was far greater, with young swimmers left dreaming of following in her footsteps.
Adlington smashed the 19-year-old world record of Janet Evans in the 800-metre final in Beijing, with viewers describing the performance as breath-taking.
Since retiring as a competitor, Adlington has made the smooth transition to punditry and it is always interesting to hear her views on a particular race.
Retiring so young has impacted her earning potential in terms of prize money but Rebecca Adlington wealth figures suggest she is doing well for herself. Without further ado, let’s get stuck into it…
How Much Is Rebecca Adlington Worth?
Rebecca Adlington was one of the best swimmers of her generation, winning a total of four Olympic medals across two Games – Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
Despite her decision to retire early, Adlington has managed to build up a hefty wealth of around £1.1 million as a direct result of her successful swimming career.
In addition to her career prize money, she is likely to have made a fair sum of money from endorsement deals and interviews in the aftermath of her Olympic success.
Since then, Adlington has taken on a media role for the BBC and regularly appears on their swimming coverage at major competitions – further boosting her wealth.
Rebecca Adlington Gold Medals
Adlington won a total of four Olympic medals during her swimming career; two gold medals in Beijing and two bronze medals at London 2012.
One of the most decorated British Olympians, particularly when specifically looking at the swimming events, Adlington was the dominant force in her events for a good three years.
Here, we summarise the Olympic gold medals won by Rebecca Adlington as we relive two of the very best performances by a British swimmer in Games history.
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Beijing 2008 – 400m Freestyle:
Heading into the Olympics, this was the weaker of Adlington’s two events but she defied the odds to claim Britain’s first women’s swimming gold medal in 48 years.
Approaching the halfway stage of the race, Adlington was dead last but she found a rhythm and managed to put herself in contention with 50 metres to go.
Adlington timed her effort to perfection, sneaking past the well-fancied Katie Hoff to send the travelling British fans into raptures.
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Beijing 2008 – 800m Freestyle:
Adlington claimed her second gold medal of the Games to become the first British woman to win two swimming gold medals – much to the delight of Team GB.
She destroyed her rivals with a pulsating performance, smashing the world record to rewrite the history books for the event.
Adlington beat the previous record – which had stood since 1989 – by over two seconds and that is a memory that will live with the British swimmer forever.
Rebecca Adlington Television
Adlington has swapped the pool for the television studio in recent times, following in the footsteps of British swimming legend Mark Foster.
The two-time Olympic champion joined the BBC team for swimming events in 2016, offering her expert insight on the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Adlington excelled in the role and was asked to return as an integral part of the coverage for the 2017 World Aquatics Championships.
Since then, Adlington has covered the European Championships, the World Championships and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo – making her one of the top swimming pundits.
However, Adlington also tried her hand at reality television – taking the plunge and signing up for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2013.
The Olympic legend was a huge hit with the British public, earning maximum stars in one of the show’s infamous Bushtucker Trials.
Adlington outlasted many of her rivals, finishing a respectable sixth before she was voted out of the competition with just a few days remaining before the final stage.
Personal Life
In 2004, Adlington’s sister Laura was impacted by encephalitis and that diagnosis inspired Rebecca to work even harder to make it as a professional swimmer.
She married fellow swimmer Harry Needs in 2014 and gave birth to a daughter the following year but the couple went their separate ways in March 2016.
However, Adlington began dating Andy Parsons and the couple announced the birth of their son in March 2021. Six months later, Adlington confirmed that they had married.
An inspiration figure for young swimmers, Adlington has earned plaudits for her motivation techniques – speaking about her experiences and knowledge on several topics.
Furthermore, her local swimming baths were renamed The Rebecca Adlington Swim Centre and she is an ambassador for the Encephalitis Society.
In terms of awards, Adlington was rewarded for her impact on swimming and was awarded an OBE in 2009 for services to the sport following her success at the Olympic Games.
Following on from her exploits in London, Adlington was named on the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and the swimming star finished a credible third.
In addition, she started up her own Becky Adlington Swim Stars learn-to-swim scheme, with the ambition of teaching every primary school pupil in the UK to swim 25 metres.
Career Highlights
One of the most successful British swimmers of all-time, Adlington enjoyed a phenomenal swimming career at the highest level of the sport.
Here, we collate Rebecca Adlington’s biggest achievements during her professional career in the pool:
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Two-time Olympic gold medallist
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Two-time World Championship gold medallist
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Two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist
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A European Championship gold medallist
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Previous world record holder
