An emotional Adam Peaty admitted his Paris 2024 Olympic Games silver medal was a ‘victory for him’ after he was denied a historic treble by the narrowest of margins.
Peaty was bidding to become the first person to win the Men’s 100m Breaststroke title for a third consecutive Games but was touched out for the gold by Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi by only 0.02 seconds.
The world and Olympic record holder was joint second with America’s Nic Fink after they both clocked 59.05 in a thrilling race for the wall.
It was a sixth Olympic medal for Peaty who said his title could not have gone to ‘a better guy’.
Peaty has spoken openly about his battles with mental health and he said: “It’s been a very long way back and I look at the score there and you’d never think in the world it would be a 59 to win it.
“I gave my absolute all there. I executed it as well as I could. It’s not about the end goal, it’s all about the process and it doesn’t matter what the time says on the score because in my heart I’ve already won.
“I’m not crying because I’ve come second. I’m crying because it took so much to get here.
“To get a silver, I feel like I have won and it’s the one that means the most. My heart is so happy because I can theoretically lose and feel like I have won.
“It’’s just incredibly hard to win it once and to win it again and to win it again. And try to find new ways to do it.
“Everything I have done to this point has happened for a reason and I’m so happy that I can race against the best in the world and still come joint-second.
“In my heart I have won and these are happy tears. I said to myself that I’d give my absolute best every single day and I have and you can’t be upset about that.
“This event has changed so much. I’m an older man here now. I can’t have that relentless pursuit every single day without a sacrifice of some sort.
“That sacrifice can come in many ways. It can come in time, it can come in energy, it can come in relationships. It comes in every single form but as a man now, it’s very hard to complete with the younger ones.
“But again, I’m so happy with that because I know in my heart I could have done more. I could have done more.
“My mind is on the relays and do the best for the team now. This is what the Olympics are about and who can perform at that moment and I was just one or two per cent out.
“I woke up this morning with something on my neck but these are not excuses, these are things athletes have to come through and find a way.
“Never ever once would I have any excuse for what is there. That is a victory for me and to see Nicolo have it as well means so much for him. I have raced him for a very, very long time and it couldn’t have gone to a better guy
“It’s still six Olympic medals right. You can’t turn your nose up at that. I’m a very religious man and I asked God to show my heart and this is my heart – I could have done more.”
Agony for Max
Max Litchfield swam the race of his life as he clocked a new British record in the Men’s 400 Individual Medley but agonisingly finished fourth in his third consecutive Olympic Games.
After finishing just outside the medals at both Rio and Tokyo, Litchfield had high hopes of a podium place after qualifying for the Paris final second fastest.
He was in contention throughout, holding fourth place until the final freestyle leg when he’d climbed into second spot with 50m to go.
However, Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita swam the final 50m in 27.67 to take the silver medal, with America’s Carson Foster bagging the bronze by 0.19 seconds from Litchfield.
France’s Leon Marchand set a new Olympic record of 4:02.95 to take the gold medal.
Litchfield’s time of 4:08.85 broke his own British record of 4:09.14 which he set at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships in April.
The Loughborough Performance Centre swimmer said: “I don’t really know what to say.
“To swim a British record, it’s hard. It’s so bitter sweet because of that but I’ve given my everything physically, mentally and emotionally.
“It’s just not meant to be again. I have come fourth at three Olympics on the trot – there’s not many people that can say they have done that. It’s just tough that’s it’s so close again but I gave it my everything so I can’t complain.
“I’m upset but I have done everything I possibly could – it is just sport.”
Amazing Angharad
Angharad Evans qualified for the Women’s 100m Breaststroke final on her Olympic Games debut with a storming last 50m swim.
The 21-year-old Cambridge-born British record holder in the 100m Breaststroke was in eighth place after the first half of her semi-final.
But she dug deep to swim the third-fastest split of 34.56 in the final 50m to take fourth place in a time of 1:05.99.
That was the sixth quickest time across the two semi-finals and was less than half a second outside of the British best she set at the London Aquatics Centre in May.
Ollie books final spot
Ollie Morgan is also in a final at his first Olympic Games after a stunning performance in the Men’s 100m Backstroke semi-final.
He claimed third place in the second semi-final in a time of 52.85 to qualify seventh fastest overall.
Jonny Marshall missed out on a place in the final, however, after finishing eighth in the first semi in a time of 53.46.
Duncan and Matt go through
Duncan Scott and Matt Richards both booked a place in the Men’s 200m Freestyle final.
Richards took fourth place in the first semi-final, clocking 1:45.63, while Scott was second in the second race, finishing in 1:44.94.
That was good enough for Scott to qualify second fastest for tomorrow’s final, while Richards was seventh quickest overall.