Adam Peaty sheds ‘happy tears’ after losing title and settling for silver

Adam Peaty said that he was crying tears of joy after narrowly missing out on winning his third straight Olympic 100m breaststroke title by just 0.02 seconds. He also mentioned that he was not going to use his sore throat as an excuse for his unexpected loss.

After coming in second place alongside Nic Fink from the United States in a fiercely competitive race that was ultimately won by the Italian swimmer Nicolò Martinenghi in lane seven, Peaty revealed that he had shed tears. However, he clarified that his emotions were solely due to his sense of pride in making a successful comeback after experiencing burnout, excessive drinking, and a broken foot.

"I am not shedding tears because I was defeated," he explained. "In my heart, I feel like a victor. These tears come from a place of joy. When you are willing to give your all every time, failure doesn't exist. I am ecstatic that the deserving winner emerged victorious."

"This is the sixth time I've won a medal at the Olympics, three of them being gold. I believe the 14-year-old who first began this journey would be proud of that accomplishment. This sport has been tough on me, but it has also brought me so much joy and fulfillment. It has shaped me into the person I am today."

However, he became emotional again when questioned about what his three-year-old son, George, had told him afterward. Peaty responded by saying, "Usually, he asks me: 'Daddy, are you the quickest boy?' But not today. He simply said: 'I love you Daddy.'"

In the blog post, it was mentioned that Peaty's time of 59.05 seconds in the finals was not as fast as his time in the semi-finals. However, Peaty expressed that he was satisfied with his performance and had no regrets. He mentioned that he had put in a lot of effort to make a comeback and gave it his all in the race.

When Peaty was asked about the race, he talked about how he was really concentrating on Qin Haiyang from China and Arno Kamminga from the Netherlands. He thought they were his biggest competition. Peaty said he was so focused on them that he didn't pay attention to anyone else. He really believed he had won when he touched the wall. But now that he's getting older, he knows he can't keep up that intensity every day without giving something up.

Peaty mentioned that a sore throat he got on the day of the final caused him to be slightly off by "just 1% or 2%". However, he clarified that these were not excuses, but rather what athletes often experience in their journey. He expressed happiness for Nicolò's victory, stating that he couldn't be happier for him as he is a genuinely nice person.

Martinenghi embraced Peaty after the race, expressing his joy at becoming an Olympic champion. He shared that wearing a chain with the number seven holds special significance for him, as he used to train in lane seven when he was younger. His coach had suggested that wearing the chain might bring him luck, and it seems to have worked out well for him.