Aren’t you just so proud to be British? There are so many things about the British way of life that just fills us with so much joy. There is Queen Liz and her corgis who rule the roost, there’s our ability to drink copious amounts of tea at once – it really is a talent – and there’s our ability to remain polite in any situation. Indeed, we could be standing in a queue for hours to grab J.K Rowling’s next book from the shop when someone stands on our foot, and we would apologise. That’s just how we roll. However, one of the best things about being British is seeing all of the famous faces that are making our country proud with their talent. Whether they are our singers – hello from the other side, Adele – our actors, our scientists, our businessmen, or our television stars, there are thousands of people to be proud of. Yet, there are some people who not only make us proud to be British every day, but they also make us proud for a few weeks every four years at the Olympic Games.
Sport in Britain is very different to sports in other countries. If we were to shout “I love football!” in front of American citizens, they would think we were shouting about their version of American football, complete with shoulder pads, jock straps, and helmets. In fact, their American football is more like our rugby union. It can get pretty confusing. Despite these differences, there is one way for us to show off our British sporting skills in front of the rest of the world. Of course, we’re talking about the Olympic Games! One of the first instances of the modern Olympic Games can be traced back to the 17th Century when the Cotswold Olimpick Games was organised by a British lawyer by the name of Robert Dover. The games were then held annually in Chipping Campden in the county of Gloucestershire. When placing their bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, the British Olympic Association reminded the officials that their country was home to “the first stirring of Britain’s Olympic beginnings” – so it’s no surprise that they eventually won the bid and became the host nation that year.
During the London 2012 Olympics, the world was introduced to some of the finest athletes Great Britain had to offer, as well as an insight into their lives, their culture, and their surroundings. We couldn’t help but fist-pump the air when we saw our precious Buckingham Palace and London Eye pop up on televisions across the globe. Yet, it made us wonder about other Olympians both past and present who are proud to be British and represent their country. So, we decided to compile this epic list of the top British Olympians in the country, and we hope you’ve brushed up on your national anthem because these guys deserve a standing ovation. If you were wondering, this is what they’re up to now…
[post_page_title]Rebecca Adlington – Then[/post_page_title]
Rebecca Adlington spent most of her childhood in the pool, splashing around and competitively swimming in local meets – and it definitely paid off. We were first introduced to Rebecca’s Olympic exploits at the 2008 Olympics when she competed in both the 800-meter freestyle and the 400-meter freestyle. Immediately, Britain knew that they had a new icon on their hands, as Rebecca managed to beat the competition and score a gold medal in the 400-meter event. In fact, she became the first woman to win a swimming gold for the UK since 1960!
