Rebecca Adlington Announces Engagement To Boyfriend Harry Needs

What Was Rebecca Adlington's Big Announcement?

Olympic swimming star Rebecca Adlington has taken the plunge and got engaged, she announced on Sunday.

The double Olympic champion declared herself to be the "happiest person ever" after boyfriend Harry Needs, a fellow swimmer, popped the question.

Adlington, 24, who announced her retirement from competitive swimming last month, told her Twitter followers:

She added that she had been celebrating with friends after the proposal.

Adlington has vowed to keep swimming until the age of 90

"Had an amazing day with some amazing people! #happy #lucky", she wrote.

Needs also took to Twitter to write:

Referring to the Beyonce song, he added: "If you like then you should put a ring on it".

The pair had announced that they were dating in the summer of 2011.

In an interview last August, Adlington insisted marriage was a long way off - citing the fact that Needs is younger than her.

She said at the time: "He's only 20, bless him. If I ever mentioned marriage to him he'd be like, 'I'm only a baby'."

Adlington, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, claimed two bronze medals at last summer's London Olympics, having won gold in the 400m and 800m in Beijing four years previously.

Close

What's Hot