Tearful Adam Peaty has no regrets despite ‘curveball’ before settling for Olympic silver

Peaty has overcome struggles with mental health to battle back to the start line in Paris but was forced to settle for silver behind Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi

Great Britain's Adam Peaty insists there are no regrets after missing out on gold despite a “curveball” on the morning of the men’s 100m breaststroke final.

The Briton was beaten into a shared silver medal with Nic Fink, who were both just two-hundredths of a second behind Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi.

But despite struggling to make the startline in his pursuit of a third successive Olympic gold medal in Paris, Peaty is content.

• Follow LIVE: Olympics latest updates and medal results

A tearful Peaty remarked after his first Paris 2024 final: "I had a curveball this morning with my throat, trying to get back to full health [for the relays], I don't want to make excuses, but it's a curve ball I've had to respond to.

“You can train eight years for something and not feel 100 percent on the day and that 100 percent will cost you 0.02secs.

"I feel so swollen in my face because of crying, but I'm so happy [to win silver].

"I had to go through a few things. I had to use the logistics of the team, because I was not 100 percent. I don't care though, I've raced and won against people that were not 100 percent.

(AP)

"Those were the cards I was dealt, that's the man I am, there are no excuses, I tried to do the best I could do, if I look at the next 10-20 years of my life, if I want success?

“You can't let the losses or the bad days go to your heart. You have to be able to go, 'yes, I'm not 100 percent, but I can still perform'. I still see that as a great performance.”

And Peaty’s journey, which has involved struggles with mental health, has enabled him to view his loss in a different light.

Gold medalist, Nicolo Martinenghi, center, of Italy, stands with silver medalists, Nic Fink, right, of the the United States, and Adam Peaty, of Britain (AP)

“I'm more balanced now,” he added. “I won't be thinking about 0.02, I've still got a job to do in the relays, it's what we do. I'm so grateful for the results over the years.

“Would it have been a fairytale ending? Of course, but it's wasn't meant to be.”