Chemical leak at pool co-owned by Olympic champion leads to evacuation

No public risk confirmed by West Midlands fire service as investigations into cause of incident at facility begin

Former Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington. A swimming pool part-owned by the athlete experienced a chemical leak on Saturday. PA

A swimming pool part-owned by former Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington experienced a chemical leak on Saturday morning, resulting in two people suffering from breathing difficulties.

The West Midlands Fire Service was alerted to the incident at Swim! in Oldbury, West Midlands, shortly before 9am.

The plant room of the pool experienced a chemical leak, leading to 10 individuals being evacuated from the facility, including two who required medical attention for breathing difficulties.

Swim! was opened in February by Ms Adlington, along with Olympians Steve Parry and Adrian Turner, and JD Gyms.

A spokesperson for Swim! stated that no injuries occurred during the incident.

Meanwhile, the fire service said that the leak was contained in the building and did not pose any danger to the public.

Two fire engines and a hazardous materials team were immediately dispatched, along with the ambulance service.

The fire service said: “The first crew were at the scene within three minutes of being mobilised.

“Our teams are ventilating the building, and our specialist officers are using air monitoring equipment to make sure the area is safe.

“Firefighters in breathing apparatus have used equipment from our hazardous materials unit to bring the incident to a successful conclusion.”

The Swim! facility is a fully equipped swimming pool that offers an array of services, including swimming lessons and training sessions.

Ms Adlington, who won two gold medals at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and two bronze medals at the London Olympics in 2012, opened the facility to encourage more people to participate in the sport.

The Olympic champion retired from professional swimming in 2013, citing her desire to focus on other ventures, including promoting water safety awareness and encouraging children to swim.

Ms Adlington has been a vocal advocate for swimming and its benefits, encouraging youngsters to participate in the sport to improve their physical and mental health.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the chemical leak, and it is not yet clear when the facility will reopen. Ms Adlington has not released any statements regarding the incident.