Adam Peaty reveals three-year-old son's reaction to Brit's Olympic heartbreak
Adam Peaty was left in tears after he won a silver medal in the men's 100 metres breaststroke final at the Paris Olympics, narrowly missing out on a historic third gold.
British swimming sensation Adam Peaty has opened up about his son's poignant response to him missing out on Olympic gold.
Adam Peaty was overcome with "happy tears" despite securing a silver medal for Team GB in the men's 100 metres breaststroke final at the Paris Olympics, confessing to journalists: "It's broken me, this sport, but it's also given me life."
The 29-year-old narrowly missed out on a historic third consecutive men's 100m breaststroke Olympic title by just 0.02 seconds. The Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 gold medallist aimed to join the ranks of swimming great Michael Phelps as the second male swimmer to clinch gold at three successive Games.
Yet, he was edged out by Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi, sharing the silver podium spot with American competitor Nic Fink after both touched the wall at 59.05 seconds.
An emotional Peaty reflected on his journey through personal challenges and professional pressures since his victory in Japan, including a battle with mental health issues and a hiatus from the sport last year due to burnout.
After his silver triumph in Paris, Peaty remarked: "I got blindsided. There were two on one side who I beat but I did not see the man on the other side. It could have gone either way."
Peaty dismissed any notion of disappointment, stating: "It's not sad at all. These are happy tears. If you're willing to put yourself on the line every single time, I think there's no such thing as a loss. I'm so happy the right man won.
"I'm not defining myself by a medal. I define myself by my heart and what it has made me feel and produce. It's got the best out of me."
"This sport has broken me, but it's also given me life, it's given me everything I am and I am happy to stand here with not really any answers to what that performance is but a happy heart and that is all that matters."
Peaty then shared his son's reaction to the news. As he now looks ahead to his two relay events, Peaty sees the bigger picture as he was comforted in the immediate aftermath of his first individual Olympic loss by his young son George.
"He normally asks 'Daddy, are you the fastest boy? ' and I'd have said 'Not today' but he just said 'I love you, daddy' and that's all I care about," Peaty added.
He concluded: "I was not feeling 100 per cent but I don't really care. I've raced people who weren't 100 per cent, I've won against people who weren't 100 per cent and today was my turn. I really feel this moment was meant to be."
