“I did it for my country and that means so much for me”.
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Describing the historic moment as “so surreal”, the seemingly unflappable Peaty said he took the first 50 metres “easy” before bursting back along the home straight “with everything I’ve got”. “My family knew how much it meant to me so words weren’t really necessary after the race”.
It was, Pilcher says, a twist of fate that brought Peaty to Marshall’s attention: “Mel was looking at this other swimmer, a 14-year-old lad, at Dove Valley swimming club – but he wouldn’t go [training with Mel] unless he could take a friend to Derby”. “That’s how scared I was”. “I am just so happy for British Swimming now, for Team GB because it’s the first gold of the games and what better than to come from swimming”.
Great Britain’s Adam Peaty created even more history in the swimming pool overnight, winning the 100-metres breaststroke final in Rio de Janeiro.
Away from the pool, Peaty’s grandmother and super-fan, Mavis Williams, has been busily tweeting her delight since her grandson’s incredible victory.
In a tweet to Peaty and his coach, Melanie Marshall, she added: “Well you have done it @adam-peaty you have made it, your hard work paid off. Congratulations to you and @massivemel”.
“She’s been cheering Adam on from the start and is so proud of what he’s achieved”, she wrote on a JustGiving page. Some of the guys he was swimming against have had a lot more experience than Peaty, but that didn’t stop him from storming ahead and blowing his competition out of the water.
When he was named in the team, Peaty said, “It’s been a long time since 1988 but I like the pressure”.
His mother Caroline said he was “very special”, adding that although they had a drink afterwards, their big celebrations were being saved for when they meet up with their whole family.
“I knew it would be a tough race and obviously Katie raced for the world record and I was just trying to stick to her and have a great race”.
“Four years ago I was sat in the stand cheering Team GB on but now I’m actually part of the team and to come away with a silver medal is absolutely fantastic”.
There was nearly as much delight for Carlin, 25, who swam another fine race to finish second behind the inevitable victor, Katie Ledecky of the United States.
Ms Williams, aged 74, stayed up into the early hours of Monday morning to watch her grandson win Team GB’s first medal of the 2016 Olympic Games.
This was an overall 1.84-second improvement on the time Peaty posted to win at the Commonwealths in Glasgow two years ago.
Lizzie Armitstead failed to rouse herself following a reprieve having missing three drugs tests in the last 12 months, after finishing fifth in a chaotic women’s road race, as the course claimed further victims.
Van Vleuten spent Sunday evening in intensive care in hospital with concussion and three fractures to her lower back.
Mavis said she also almost missed out on her grandson’s world record heat on Saturday (6/8) because she got confused with the red button on her TV remote.
Earlier, fencer Richard Kruse came close to securing Team GB’s first medal before agonisingly losing out in the battle for bronze in the men’s individual foil to Timur Safin of Russian Federation 15-13. “Nothing takes him off that focus of getting to the Olympics”.
But unfortunately the Wimbledon champion and brother Jamie later crashed out of the doubles in the first round, the second seeds losing two tie-breaks – the second 16-14 – to Brazil’s Andre Sa and Thomaz Bellucci.
GB women joined their male counterparts in reaching the team gymnastic final – but not without a scare.
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Joshua Buatsi continued Britain’s 100% record in the boxing competition after stopping Kennedy Katende in the men’s light heavy 81kg class.
