Olympic star Adam Peaty breaks silence after testing positive for Covid

29 July 2024, 22:07

Adam Peaty won silver in the 100m breaststroke final - after Italian Nicolò Martinenghi denied Team GB their first gold in Paris by two-hundredths of a second.

Adam Peaty paid tribute to partner Holly Ramsay after testing positive for Covid just hours after winning silver in the 100m breaststroke at Paris 2024.

Peaty swam 59.05 - but was pipped by Nicolò Martinenghi who swam 59.03 to win gold in the pool.

The Olympic record-holder had suggested he felt unwell after securing second place and his symptoms only worsened after the final.

“Adam Peaty began feeling unwell on Sunday, ahead of his Men’s 100m Breaststroke final,” Team GB said in a statement.

“In the hours after the final, his symptoms became worse and he was tested for COVID early on Monday morning. He tested positive at that point.

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“He is hopeful to be back in competition for the relay events later in the swimming programme.

“As in any case of illness, the situation is being managed appropriately, with all usual precautions being taken to keep the wider delegation healthy.”

Taking to Instagram in the wake of the news, Peaty said: "A night full of raw emotion and sport in its true form.

"These last 14 months have been incredibly testing and I do not regret one training session or decision I made.

"I’ve continued to fight and find new ways to enjoy something that has broken me to the core and to end up with an Olympic silver through all of that is an absolute blessing.

"I’m more proud of the man and athlete I am from last night than I have been across my entire career."

This diagnosis casts doubt over Peaty’s hopes of winning more medals at the Paris 2024 games.

If able to recover in time, the swimmer would play a key role in Great Britain’s men’s and mixed 4x100m medley relay quartets.

The men’s final is due to take place on August 4, while the mixed race is scheduled for the day before.

Speaking after his silver medal win, Peaty admitted to feeling unwell: “I’ve had a bit of a curveball with my throat but, please, it’s no excuse at all.

“But it’s a curveball I’ve had to respond to.

“You can train eight years for something and not feel 100 per cent on the day and (not being) 100 per cent costs you 0.02 seconds, that’s just the way it is.

“I’m so happy to pass the baton to Nicolo because I’ve been racing him for so long. All I could see in my eyes were Qin and Arno.

“They are two of the best executors in that final, but that’s just sport. I got a little bit blindsided, I touched the wall and I truly believed I got it but it wasn’t meant to be.”