Newark: Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington opens £3m five-lane pool at Dukeries Leisure Centre, Ollerton

A double Olympic champion swimmer was in the water to celebrate the opening of a £3m five-lane pool.

Rebecca Adlington opened Ollerton’s new swimming pool at Newark and Sherwood District Council-owned Dukeries Leisure Centre.

The four-time Olympic medallist, who brought home two golds in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, marked the occasion by taking the first swim in the pool, accompanied by children representing Ollerton and Boughton’s junior town council.

A weekend of free taster sessions took place, offering everyone the chance to follow Rebecca’s lead and try out the new facilities.

The construction of the new 20m by 10m pool was led by the council’s project partner, ReCreation, and is fully accessible with a traditional hoist as well as a Poolpod — a multi-award winning swimming pool lift, originally developed for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The pool has its own unisex changing village and spectator area, in addition to the existing fitness suite, sports hall and exercise studios located in the main building.

Free taster sessions for local primary schools have been arranged to take place before the summer holidays, in advance of school swimming commencing in September.

Lane swimming, parent and toddler sessions and family fun activities are also set to take place daily at the centre, making this a real community-led project.

Roger Jackson, chairman of the council’s leisure and environment committee, said: “After a very difficult year, we are immensely proud and excited to open the doors to our new pool.

“This is another milestone project for the district council that will do a great deal for the health and wellbeing of the residents of Ollerton and the surrounding communities.”