British swimmer Adam Peaty tested positive for COVID-19, Team GB announced on Monday, just one day after narrowly missing out on gold in the 100 meters breaststroke at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Peaty secured silver alongside American Nic Fink, both finishing just 0.02 seconds behind Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi. The Briton had mentioned feeling unwell on the day of the race, though he chose not to use it as an excuse. He also struggled with a hoarse throat post-race.
“Adam Peaty began feeling unwell on Sunday, before his men’s 100m breaststroke final,” Team GB stated. “His symptoms worsened after the final, and he was tested for COVID-19 early Monday morning, with a positive result.”
Peaty is hopeful to return for the relay events later in the swimming program. The situation is being managed with all necessary precautions to ensure the health of the wider delegation.
Peaty described the illness as an unexpected challenge. “It’s not an excuse, but it’s a curveball I had to deal with,” he said. “You can train for years and still not be at 100 percent on the day, and that 0.02 seconds can make a difference.”
The build-up to the breaststroke final had focused on a showdown between two-time champion Peaty and China’s world title-holder Qin Haiyang. However, Martinenghi surged ahead to win, with Peaty and Fink finishing just behind.
Qin, who was among 23 Chinese swimmers who failed drug tests before the Tokyo Games but was later cleared, finished in seventh place.
An emotional Peaty, aiming to be the second male swimmer after Michael Phelps to win the same event at three consecutive Games, had tears in his eyes but emphasized they were not tears of sadness. “In sport, if you put yourself on the line every time, there’s no such thing as a loss,” he said.
On Sunday, two other gold medals were awarded in the swimming pool. Leon Marchand secured France’s first Olympic swimming gold since 2012 with a record-breaking performance in the 400m individual medley, finishing nearly six seconds ahead of Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita. Torri Huske claimed the women’s 100m butterfly title, beating American team-mate and world record-holder Gretchen Walsh.
