Rebecca Adlington's first full week in Paris has been nothing short of spectacular.
From making precious memories with her husband Andy Parsons and their three-year-old son Albie to witnessing swimming champ Adam Peaty take home silver for Team GB and reporting on the action poolside, it's safe to say that Paris 2024 has been joyous.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist, 35, is reporting for her second HELLO! column telling us all about her jam-packed diary from the last seven days. Rebecca, known to most as Becky, reveals the emotional moments that left her in tears and her biggest highlight so far...
© Rebecca Adlington/HELLO!Exploring Paris
Andy and Albie have been here, we went to Team GB House and spent the whole day exploring. We saw the Louvre, the Olympic flame and walked all the way down to the Eiffel Tower and had the best time.
We also met Andy's sister, who lives in Paris. Andy and Albie are now down south with his parents. Albie is obsessed with planes, trains, cars, and any form of transportation. I stood waving to see them off and there were no tears because he was so excited to get on the train!
I'm FaceTiming my daughter Summer every day and she's absolutely loving life in Spain holidaying with her cousin. She says, 'Miss you' and then does all these poses in front of the camera, she's so funny and a typical nine-year-old.
It's lovely that the kids are watching it and getting involved. I do wish they had tickets - we tried, but there were no swimming tickets left at all. It just wasn't meant to be!
We don't really get to relax here, it's been so busy and it's all blurred into one. I feel like it's that time between Christmas and New Year, where I'm like I don't know what day it is. I'm trying to get out walking every day and see some of Paris because it's so beautiful. I feel like Emily in Paris.
On Adam Peaty's emotional silver medal
It was so emotional watching Adam Peaty. I started crying even before the race! When they showed the 'Dear Adam' video with his family, it really got me.
Anything with the kids gets me emotional. Seeing [Adam's son] George say to his dad, 'Are you the fastest boy?'... I was a mess because George and Albie are similar in age, so I can imagine Albie saying the same thing.
Adam is stupidly busy and trying to recover from COVID. But I've messaged his coach Mel and he's been back in the water, so he's doing OK.
© Rebecca Adlington/HELLO!You just can't prepare for the moment you receive a medal. Your emotions are going wild and the microphone gets thrust into your face within a minute of you finishing.
I don't know Adam's journey specifically, but I know what goes into being an elite sportsman. I know those dark times at 5 a.m. I know those times when you are so broken you can't even put your shoes on and walk to your car.
© Ian MacNicolAnd I just thought he spoke so beautifully, and you could see that he couldn't have done any more. This is the most vulnerable I've ever seen Adam.
There are [expectations] in sport that you've got to keep those things close to your chest and if you don't, it's a weakness. But that's a total myth. It's a strength like he's been able to just be true to himself and it's been amazing to see.
© Becky Adlington/HELLO!Gold for GB
A highlight for me has been the men's 4x200m when Matt Richards, James Guy, Tom Dean and Duncan Scott won gold for Team GB.
We made the history books by winning that gold medal three years ago, but no one, no man or woman has ever defended a title, let alone defended the title with the same four people – it's so rare.
© AnadoluTheir chemistry and bond really come across. I could see there was a lot of joy, but there was also relief on their faces.
I think all four of them had been on their own journey, and individually they are fantastic. But when you put them together, they create history.
© Rebecca Adlington/HELLO!Disqualification drama
I'm so gutted for Luke Greenbank. The rule on backstroke is that your head must break the surface of the water when you reach the 50-metre mark, the red line on the lane rope.
But his face was technically still under the water until after the red line. He didn't even know he had done it, so he had finished this amazing heat to make it through to the semi, and it wasn't until he got out that he realised.
© Martin Rickett - PA ImagesMy heart breaks for him because he could have won that event, he could have absolutely got a medal. I'm so devastated for him and for his coach, Mel, because it's so easily done. He's a level-headed guy and I really hope that he can move past it because I don't want it to haunt him. He will be devastated but I hope he can find a way to move forward.
From an international perspective, I have to mention Leon Marchand. He's got three gold medals so far, two in the same night last night and that blew my mind.
Having somebody who's experienced [what he has] at a home Olympics is rare. We don't get a say in where the Olympics are, so it's just [a perfect moment] in his career. He's living his best life. It's just incredible. And it was the best crowd I have ever experienced.
Poolside pundits
The three of us, myself, Mark [Foster] and Clare [Balding], have the biggest amount of laughs. We get on really, really well. I've been putting stuff on Instagram every day and everyone's been saying, 'We love you guys', and that's been really sweet.
I'm in awe of Clare, I find it absolutely incredible what she does. There's no auto queue, by the way, at the pool.
I said to her the other day, 'How do you remember everything?' and she says it's because she writes it all herself. She hardly ever makes a mistake. She's an absolute legend and such a pro.
We've still got some amazing swims to come and got some really strong medal chances. So, I'm hoping there's at least like, three or four medals on the cards, it's really exciting.
