GROOM MATT SO PROUD OF HIS BEST MEN

Richards Says gold medal was the perfect wedding present

- MIKE WALTERS

MATT RICHARDS called Britain's Fab Four relay triumph in the pool his best wedding present as he prepares to tie the knot.

In a superbly-paced piece of race management, Richards joined forces with Duncan Scott, James Guy and Tom Dean to win 4x200 metres freestyle gold on Tuesday night.

The Team GB quartet became the first in Olympic history, male or female, to retain a relay title with the same personnel.

And for Richards, it was the perfect prelude to his nuptials when he marries fellow British swimmer Emily Large (above) two weeks after the Paris 2024 Games.

He said: "My best wedding present? It's definitely up there. My fiancee said she couldn't be more proud of me and that she loved me.

"That was always going to be a tough race in our final but all four of us put in mature swims.