Adlington urges sport participation

Double gold medallist Rebecca Adlington receives gold Jimmy Choo shoes

26 August 2008 09:06pm

Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington has urged children from across the country to take up sport ahead of London 2012.

The 19-year-old said the Games would provide an "amazing opportunity" for youngsters to learn a new sport as she was welcomed back to her home town of Mansfield by a crowd of 10,000 well-wishers.

The town's market place was turned into a sea of Union flags and banners congratulating Adlington on her two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.

Adlington said: "I think London is going to be an amazing opportunity for kids to get involved with sport. I don't know about the funding issues but you don't need huge amounts of funding. I've been on hardly any at all. A pool is a pool, no matter what. I just think it's important for kids to get involved."

As part of the celebrations, Adlington was feted with an open-top bus tour through the Nottinghamshire town and a fireworks display. Later the swimmer enjoyed a private party with friends and relatives at Mansfield's civic centre.

As the crowds chanted her name at the end of the bus ride, she said: "It's just so great with all the flags. I've just been so up and down and I'm now ready for a break."

Earlier she arrived for a press conference with her boyfriend Andy Mayor, 22, father Stephen, 50, and mother Kay, 48, in a golden Rolls-Royce. She was then presented with a gold pair of Jimmy Choo shoes by the town's mayor Tony Egginton.

Before she left for Beijing, he promised the teenager the £460 hand-made Italian shoes, which are appropriately made out of watersnake, if she won gold.

Adlington, dressed in her Team GB tracksuit and sporting her two medals around her neck, told the press conference: "I wasn't expecting this. To come back with two gold medals is just amazing. I think the races have sunk in but I don't think the world record will sink in for a long time. It's just been so overwhelming."

Adlington became Mansfield's greatest-ever sporting success when she clinched gold in both the 400m and 800m freestyle.