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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.
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 out-of-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.
And it was not the fierce head-to-head battle with Qin many had thought, despite an intimidating face-off on the blocks between the pair seen more often in combat sports. Qin was not a factor and was left down in seventh.
Peaty has been on a difficult journey since Tokyo in 2021. From setting the record for the fastest 20 times in history over his favourite distance, he would defend his Olympic title. Yet there were signs of what he would later describe as a “self-destructive” downward spiral. Another Olympic gold medal, yet Peaty could only remark how he was “so f***ing relieved” to win, barely able to grin after the exhausting Covid pandemic.
With periods of depression and problems with alcohol, Peaty noted how he was battling with “the devil on my shoulder” even if a mixed performance on Strictly Come Dancing following Tokyo brought laughs. A broken foot followed a year later and he would eventually pull out of the British Championships at the start of 2023, citing mental health issues.
His absence immediately changed the landscape of the men’s 100m breaststroke, an event he redefined with his world record a full second faster than the rest and his exile left an opportunity for others. Step forward, Qin Haiyang.
The 25-year-old gleefully took the throne in his absence, claiming a famous trio of gold medals at last year’s World Championships. Qin is one of 11 Chinese swimmers competing in Paris who tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug TMZ before the Games in Tokyo. All 11 swimmers have been cleared of any wrongdoing, citing cross-contamination in the kitchen of a team hotel, but the narrative lingered as an extra layer to Peaty’s remarkable comeback.
If Peaty was knocked down, a powerful combination would reignite the fire from within and ensure he climbed back up. Peaty was angered at the mere sight of Qin collecting the medals he viewed as his own and many tipping the 25-year-old to succeed him in Paris without a fight. That assumption rankled with Peaty, who once again leaned heavily on coach Mel Marshall, seen more as a “second Mum”, to deliver the tough love he needed.
A more mature Peaty, inspired by his son George, transformed his mindset, with an icy exterior until his feet brushed the blocks. Only then would the red mist emerge to fuel his return in the pool.
If Qin had the form entering 2024, Peaty had what he described as “heritage”, the experience to deliver on the biggest stage.
So how will Adam Peaty be remembered after all this? One of Great Britain’s greatest Olympians, yet that was true before Paris. And Peaty knew it. It was part of his growth. Not only delivering when everything surrounding him was secure, but daring to put everything on the line. And despite no gold medal this time, he certainly demonstrated that.