In praise of … Rebecca Adlington

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/05/in-praise-of-rebecca-adlington

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Many things explain why even the most successful swimmers struggle to become household names. Partly it's because their sport gets less TV coverage than it once did. Maybe it's also because, face down in the water in most events and enveloped in swim caps and goggles, it is hard for personalities to break through. But whatever the reasons, Rebecca Adlington blew them away. Becoming Britain's first female swimmer to win an Olympic gold for 48 years helped, of course, a feat Ms Adlington achieved twice in Beijing in 2008. But so did her warmth, her openness and her gutsy commitment, which were all on display last summer when she won two of Great Britain's three swimming medals in the London Games. On Tuesday Ms Adlington announced her retirement from competitive swimming. But it doesn't require much imagination to see that, in or out of the pool, she will still be British swimming's best asset for years to come.