London 2012: Rebecca Adlington considers retiring from swimmingThe Guardian, Saturday 4 August 2012
Rebecca Adlington admitted she is considering retiring following a disappointing bronze in the 800m freestyle.
Despite insisting that to view a silver or bronze as losing is "absolutely insane", the 23-year-old defending Olympic champion was visibly upset after being well beaten by the 15-year-old American Katie Ledecky and admitted she was disappointed with her time of 8min 20.32sec, more than six seconds slower than her own world record and 5.69 slower than the winner.
"I can happily say that I have been in four Olympic Games finals, which is incredible, and I'm glad that I've medalled in four as well," she said. "I can definitely look back and be happy with my career [but] there is just an element of disappointment in there as well, obviously."
Asked if she is considering retiring, Adlington said: "I don't really know, to be honest. Obviously I still love the sport or I wouldn't be upset." She is now looking forward to taking a break, starting with the wedding of her close friend and fellow British swimmer Keri-Anne Payne, at which she is to be bridesmaid next month, and a charity bike ride in Africa in October.
When they are over, she said, "That's when I'll sit down with Bill [Furniss, her coach], that's when I'll analyse how much I've missed it in my break. I'll experience that normal life in six to eight weeks and see how I feel. I, honest to God, don't know how I will feel.
"I love the sport but I always feel like I want to finish on a high. If I feel like I've got more to come, more to give, that's something I'll talk about with Bill and we'll talk about getting back in or not."
The fact she had been beaten by a 15-year-old following stand-out performances at the Games by the 17-year-old Missy Franklin, Ye Shiwen, who is 16, and the Lithuanian 15-year-old Ruta Meilutyte, would be a factor in that, Adlington said.
"I can't recover as quickly as I used to. I used to do hard session after hard session, I can't do that so much now I'm 23. People say: 'Oh you're so young', but for distance swimming I'm not so young. It's not an old generation sport."
If she were to retire, she said, she would love to become a swimming commentator. "I've always wanted to do Strictly as well," she said. "I'd be awful because I can't dance, everyone takes the mick out of me 'cos I dance like a mum and point my fingers, but I just love the fact that I would be able to dress up and be girly. People see women in sport as not being girly but I am."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/04/rebecca-adlington-future-london-2012?CMP=twt_gu