By his reckoning, it was the only time he refused a request in the post-Olympic haze of Tokyo where he went from a virtual nobody to being stopped wherever he went on his return as a two-time champion.
The recognition was further boosted by chaotic but eye-catching family and friend celebrations in Maidenhead that were played out on the BBC.
Dean seemed to take it all in his stride at a Games where Covid twice nearly derailed his ambitions of competing there, going on to win 200m freestyle gold and another in the team relay.
“I remember at one point my coach said that if I even make it to the start line, ‘I’ll eat my hat’,” he said of a tumultuous lead-in.
The build-up to Paris has not quite had the same perils, although he will not defend his individual title, having missed out to team-mates Duncan Scott and Matt Richards at the Olympic trials. But he has qualified for the 200m individual medley and will be a key facet in the relay once more.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 26, 2024 من Evening Standard.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 26, 2024 من Evening Standard.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Behind the Legend
Fame, glory, awards-but John Legend has also faced baby loss, his wife being cancelled and the souring of his friendship with Kanye West
The sun has just set on 1,000 years of London history
Smithfield Market will close, but it doesn't have to be like this
Knightsbridge, we have a problem
As the AI Fayed sex abuse stories spiral, can Harrods survive the scandal?
Who's in, who's out and who will Trump go after now?
The president-elect is building up his power base and plotting his revenge on those who have wronged him. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a wild ride
Vamos Rafa! It's time to go for Spain's brave warrior
'Shy and funny' Nadal bows out as sport's ultimate competitor
Does Angeball have a winning future at Spurs?
Head coach divides supporters with his ultra-attacking tactics
The £5bn-a-year tax timebomb that's set to devastate London hospitality
The capital will bear the brunt of Rachel Reeves’s National Insurance raid
Live like a Queen...
...in the house gifted to Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII in 1540 and now onsale for 3.75 million
At home with...Matthew Williamson
The designer’s Belsize Park flatis a grand canvas for his ever-changing colour palette
Hidden London
The first time I made my way to Maison Assouline was with a broken foot, in a tragic boot and crutches.