Peaty misses historic treble gold medal by milliseconds

It is not the return to the Olympics Adam Peaty dreamed of. A joint-silver medal in Paris, behind Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi in what developed into a slow, nervy race, decided by the finest of margins and pure instinct to touch the wall at just the right time.

- JACK RATHBORN

Peaty, who woke up with “a sore throat” and cursing his luck on his day of destiny, must have thought he had won it. He held off world champion Qin Haiyang, only for a tight finish and an outof-sight Martinenghi to snatch a victory that would have seen him join Michael Phelps as the only men to win three consecutive gold medals at the Olympics in individual events.

Disappointment, of course, but do not underestimate how the British great has seized victory from the most improbable position following a turbulent period in his life after the Tokyo Olympics.

“It’s not sad at all,” Peaty maintained. “If you’re willing to put yourself on the line, there’s no such thing as a loss.

“I’m happy with a silver. It’s sport, I got blindsided, but it wasn’t meant to be. This journey, 14 months, it’s not for a medal, I define myself by my heart, what it’s made me feel and produce. It’s got the best out of me.

“It’s broken me this sport, but it’s given me life and everything I am. Would it have been a fairytale ending? Of course, but it’s wasn’t meant to be.”

Here in Paris, a third successive gold was not to be, with this agonising finish, despite leading world champion Qin Haiyang in the final 50m, ensuring second with the USA’s Nic Fink in 59mins and 0.05 seconds, just two-hundredths of a second away from immortal status.