Becky Adlington Gives Birth To Second Child Albie Bennet Parsons

Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder Becky Adlington has announced the birth of her second child Albie Bennett Parsons. Adlington and her boyfriend Andrew Parsons welcomed newborn Albie on March 4, 2021. The couple has been together since early 2018.

Albie is Adlington’s second child, having given birth to her first daughter Summer with ex-husband Harry Needs back in 2015.

Adlington is one of Britain’s most successful swimmers in recent years, having collected a number of major international medals throughout her career. Adlington won two golds at the 2008 Olympics, winning both the 400 and 800 freestyles. Adlington won the 400 in a 4:03.22, narrowly out-touching USA’s Katie Hoff who took silver in a 4:03.29, and British teammate Joanne Jackson who was bronze with a 4:03.52. In the 800, Adlington broke Janet Evans’ 1989  world record of 8:16.22, touching in an 8:14.10. Adlington shared the podium with Italy’s Alessia Filippi (8:20.23) and Denmark’s Lotte Friis (8:23.03).

Adlington held the 800 freestyle world record until 2013 when Katie Ledecky lowered it to an 8:13.86 at the 2013 World Championships.

4 years later at the 2012 London Olympics Adlington raced both the 400 and 800 freestyles again but didn’t defend her titles, taking bronze in both events. In the 400, Camille Muffat took gold with a 4:01.45 Olympic record, Allison Schmitt was silver with a 4:01.77, and Adlington was a 4:03.01 for bronze.

In the 800, Adlington swam an 8:20.32 to Katie Ledecky’s golden medal-winning 8:14.63 and Mireia Belmonte’s 8:18.76 for silver.

Since her retirement from the sport, Adlington has remained in the swimming world, acting as a BBC commentator at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2017 World Championships, and the 2018 European Championships. Adlington has also founded an initiative called Becky Adlington Swim Stars. Adlington has identified her vision to be “that every child in Britain will be able to swim 25 meters by the time they leave primary school” and hopes that her program will help achieve that goal.