Adam Peaty insisted that he was shedding “completely happy tears” after lacking out on a 3rd consecutive Olympic 100m breaststroke title by 0.02sec – and refused in charge a sore throat for his shock defeat.

Talking after sharing silver with Nic Fink of the US in a desperately shut race received by the Italian Nicolò Martinenghi from lane seven, Peaty admitted he had been crying. However he insisted it was solely as a result of he was pleased with his comeback after burnout, an excessive amount of consuming and a damaged foot.

“I’m not crying as a result of I’ve misplaced,” he mentioned. “As a result of in my coronary heart I’ve received. These are completely happy tears. Should you’re prepared to place your self on the road each single time, I feel there’s no such factor as a loss. And I’m so completely happy that the fitting man received.

“That is my sixth Olympic medal, three of them gold. And I feel the 14-year-old that started off on this campaign would have taken that. It’s damaged me this sport, but it surely’s additionally given me life. It’s given me the whole lot I’m.”

However he broke down once more when requested what his three-year-old son, George, had mentioned to him afterwards. “Nicely, he usually goes: ‘Daddy, are you the quickest boy?’” replied Peaty. “However not at this time. ‘He simply mentioned: ‘I like you Daddy.’”

Peaty’s time of 59.05sec was slower than he had swum in his semi-finals however he insisted that he had no regrets. “It’s been a really good distance again,” he mentioned. “I gave it my absolute all there. I did in addition to I may.

Requested concerning the race, Peaty replied that he had been primarily centered on the 2 males who had been thought of his large rivals, the Chinese language star Qin Haiyang and the Dutchman Arno Kamminga. “In my head, they had been the 2 folks to beat and I bought a bit of bit blindsided. After I touched the wall I really believed I bought it. However I’m virtually an older man right here now. I can’t have that relentless each single day with no sacrifice of some kind.”

Peaty mentioned that he had been “simply 1% or 2% out” due to a sore throat he picked up on the morning of the ultimate. However he added: “These usually are not excuses, these are simply issues athletes need to undergo to discover a method. And to see Nicolò win makes me so completely happy for him. It couldn’t have occurred to a nicer man.”

After the race Martinenghi hugged Peaty, earlier than saying it was a “dream come true to be Olympic champion”. “I’ve a sequence with seven on it as a result of after I was youthful I used to coach in lane seven,” he mentioned. “And this morning my coach mentioned to me possibly it will make me fortunate.”