Adam Peaty explains emotional reaction to missing out on historic Olympic gold treble

British swimmer Adam Peaty was going in search of a third Olympic gold medal in the 100m breastroke but fell agonisingly short as Nicolo Martinenghi pipped him at the last

Adam Peaty wept “happy tears” despite being denied a golden ‘Three-Peat’ in a huge upset on Sunday night.

In the 100 metres breaststroke final, a race he had dominated in Rio and Tokyo, Peaty was beaten to a golden hat-trick by unfancied Italian Nicolo Martinenghi and was was forced to settle for silver in a dead heat with American Nic Fink.

Peaty, 29, was all smiles as he was draped in his silver medal by the Princess Royal afterwards. And he took his defeat with impressive humility, hugging four-year-old son George at the poolside.

Peaty, who fought noble battles with mental health, alcohol and personal heartache to reach his third Olympics here, said: "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, these are happy tears. I gave my absolute best every single day and I cannot be upset about that.

"I'm almost an older man here now. I can't have that relentless pursuit every single day without a sacrifice of some sort - they come in every single form. It's very hard to compete with the younger ones, so I'm very happy with that.”

Speaking about his back-story, he said: "It has been a very long way back. I look at the score there and you would never think in your wildest dreams that it would be 59 seconds to win it.

"I gave it my absolute all. I executed it as well as I could. It's not about the end goal, it's about the process. It doesn't matter what time it says on the scoreboard, I think in my heart I have already won.”

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Rebecca Adlihgton, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, recognised Peaty's reaction. "You could see he was genuinely happy. You could see they were happy tears," Adlington said during the BBC's live coverage.

"I'm just emotional for him because, as an athlete, you know what he has been through. I have achieved nothing compared to Adam - what he has achieved is unbelievable - I can't even get my head around it.

"He is such a role model for the rest of that team - people look up to him and he just has so much respect. It is amazing to see him smile."

Mark Foster, another British Olympian in swimming, wondered aloud whether Peaty would be back in action for the 2028 Olympics. Those will take place in Los Angeles, and Peaty will be 33 at the time.

"Does he go to LA for another Olympics? We don't know how many more swims he has got in him or if he wants to continue," Foster said on the BBC. "It's beautiful watching him swim because it is someone British. He is not Michael Phelps, he is not American, he is a Brit."

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