Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics April, with open water event swimmers selected after performance in the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships, in Seville, Spain. In winning six medals (two gold, two silver and two bronze) the team bettered the target of three medals set by UK Sport. The most successful swimmer was Rebecca Adlington who won two gold medals. Her 400 m freestyle success was Britain's first Olympic swimming title since 1988, and the first swimming gold by a British woman since 1960. Her second gold, in the 800 m freestyle, meant she also equalled the best performance by a British woman, from any
Rebecca Adlington She was the first British swimmer to win more than one gold medal at a single Olympic Games since Henry Taylor won three in 1908. In 2009, Adlington admitted she suffered with the expectation placed on her ahead of the World Aquatics Championships in Rome, and although she swam a personal best she was only able to win bronze in the 400-metre freestyle. She added a second bronze in the 4×200-metre freestyle. In her favourite event, the 800-metre freestyle she missed out on a chance for a medal and came fourth. In 2010, Adlington won the 400-metre freestyle at the