Rebecca Adlington knows all about fiddling with goggles and standing nervously on the starting blocks for an Olympic swimming final as the former GB Olympic star won golds at 400m and 800m freestyle in Beijing in 2008.
Now, 16 years later, the former world record holder is excited to be soaking up the atmosphere poolside in Paris as a BBC pundit.
What To Watch caught up with 35-year-old mum-of-two Rebecca for an exclusive chat at her home via Zoom to get the lowdown on the swimming stars to look out for this time…
Interview: Rebecca Adlington gives an exclusive lowdown on the Paris Olympics swimming action
Are you excited for all the Paris pool action?
Rebecca Adlington says: "Yes, it’s going to be buzzing and it’s great to have Olympic crowds back after missing them in Tokyo, so it’ll feel a little bit more like Rio and London. There’ll be myself and Mark Foster assessing the races, while Clare Balding hosts. Swimming tickets are like gold dust apparently and I’m just so excited."
How do you think GB's world record holder Adam Peaty will fare this time in the 100m breaststroke?
"I don't pretend to know Adam really well but he does seem to be in a more content, happy place. He’s had a challenging couple of years with illness and injuries — he had his tonsils out and then a fractured foot. Mentally it’s been very hard. He’s a great dad with his son George and is really happy with Holly (Ramsay, chef Gordon’s daughter) so his personal life seems sorted. I don’t think people quite appreciate how hard it’s been for him to achieve his best level and maintain it. The public haven’t really appreciated how good and special Adam is. He’s fundamentally changed the history books and changed breaststroke, almost creating this whole new stroke. His main rival will be Qin Hiyang of China. It could be close! The GB relays are strong too and Adam’s strong breaststroke leg means we have a really good team for both the men’s medley relay and the mixed medley relay."
British freestyler Matt Richards is the current world champion at 200m – what are his chances?
"With Matt it’s been a pleasure to see his career grow and he has a fellow Brit, Duncan Scott, who won silver in the 200m in Tokyo, as his big rival. That should push them both on! It’s nice when your own teammate is a main challenger. We saw Matt burst onto the scene with the 4 x 200m relay gold in Tokyo and now he’s really come into his own as an individual swimmer and he is the world champ. Our 4x 200m men’s team will be the same four who won in Tokyo — Matt, Duncan, plus Olympic gold winner Tom Dean and James Guy. They are hot favourites again!"
* How to watch the 2024 Olympics online: stream the Paris Summer games
Tell us bit more about the new GB backstroke star Oliver Morgan?
"Although Oliver is very new and up and coming and probably doesn’t have the same experience as others, he’s on a team with veterans like Adam and that really helps. He broke the British record earlier this year and has really strengthened our men’s medley relay too. Luke Greenbank has a chance too in the men’s 200m backstroke as be’s better with the longer distance."
So turning to GB women’s swimmers… who could shine?
"Keanna MacInnes and Laura Stephens in the 200m butterfly are definitely up there for medal hopes. I’m one of those people who never say never. They are quite experienced now, and both are really level-headed. It is going to be a tough challenge. It’s the same for Abbie Wood and our world champ Freya Colbert in the 200m individual medley. The Americans and Australians are really, really good across the board and they’re up against Canadian superstar Summer McIntosh who’s amazing. Our sprint freestyler Anna Hopkin is definitely in the mix for a medal and the relays are strong too!"
French swimmer Leon Marchand looks set to drive the home crowds wild…
"Yes, never underestimate how home support can give you an edge! Leon’s main challenger for the 200m Individual Medley is Britain’s Duncan Scott who won two individual silvers in Tokyo and is desperate for an individual gold. I’d say Leon is a bit more of a 400 IM specialist. He’s amazing at the 200 IM too but it’ll be interesting to see he handles the pressure of the home crowd. Duncan I know loves a buzzing atmosphere."
