Adam Peaty wins silver for Team GB in Paris Olympics.

 Adam Peaty wins silver for Team GB in Paris Olympics

He is the most successful Olympic athlete in recent years and how Team GB have taken him to their hearts. His name is Adam Peaty and he comes from Uttoxeter in Staffordshire. He was a peerless gold medallist twice over for Great Britain and his remarkable achievements will never be forgotten. He is our most accomplished swimmer in modern times and there was a point yesterday when the whole of Britain was simply overjoyed because, although he'd claimed the silver medal for his country, his family, friends and enthusiastic fans, there was a sense that Peaty had already done much more than we might have expected.

After a number of private mental health issues in recent years, Peaty was back, stronger, fitter, lither  and more lissom than ever before, muscular chest rippling with energy, determined to be the best he could be. Nobody had ever doubted his quality, his impeccable credentials at the highest level of swimming and we just knew that he'd be there or thereabouts. Behind him were his loving and immensely supportive family, mum and dad, partner and young son. Peaty was in cracking form and poised to bring it home but, sadly, he was to be denied the gold by the merest of finger tips. 

At both the Rio and Tokyo Olympics of respectively 2016 and 2020, Peaty rose to prominence, a phenomenal sportsman, surely one of the most stylish swimmers Britain had produced for ages. He was never arrogant or entitled in any way, shape or form because he knew that the country was always on his side. There was something of the boy next door about him, a grounded, level headed Olympian who smashed world records and never shirked his duties. We believed in him when life became challenging for him and we were convinced that there was something in the air last night. 

And so it was that Peaty stepped up for the start of the Paris Olympics Games of 2024 in the 400m individual medley Final. He shook his wrists and nodded from side to side with hunger and desire burning from his eyes. The goggles were on, the metaphorical gloves were off and the shirt was peeled off, revealing a body honed and sculpted to perfection. The shoulders and arms were stretched to the limit and then he went through that whole procedure of going into the zone, concentrating intensely and deeply.

You often wonder what goes through the congested minds of sportsmen and women when the lights go on, the crowd reach feverish pitch and the water in a swimming pool is at its most sparkling. There were no questions on Peaty's mind. You could see that. He wanted gold and nothing else. He was desperate to create history, emulating the outstanding feats of Australian Olympian Michael Phelps by winning a hat-trick of gold medals.

So he took his time, preparing himself, finding internal reserves of inspiration from somewhere. He was one of the favourites to retain his Olympic gold because the breaststroke was his forte. We admired his dedication to the cause, the admirable sacrifices and that mental fortitude that had to be driving him forward if that gold medal were to be wrapped around his neck once again. And then it happened.

Eight sinewy and streamlined swimmers stood on their marks, bodies bent forward while some chose to just plant a foot on their mark. Arms were wiggled nervously, chests slapped and then the brief moment of meditation, deep thought and contemplation. Thighs were whacked and then yet another set  of fascinating calisthenics, exercises designed to keep them in the moment. There was Nic Fink, apple pie American, Nicolo Martinenghi, an Italian who was to storm to gold, Casper Corbeau and Armo Kamminga, of the Netherlands, Haiyang Qin of China, Melvin Imoulu and Lucas Matzerah from Germany. It was an enthralling, gripping battle royale race with nothing between these men with nerves of steel. 

All eight swimmers dived headlong into the Olympic pool and thrashed their way through the water, arms and shoulders powering furiously away and hardly a hand between them. It was neck and neck, a thrilling display of smooth breathstroke, streamlined and aerodynamics. This was swimming at its most fiercely competitive and business like. Firstly, the Chinese star Haiyang Quin started moving away from the rest of the field before Nic Fink, the American challenger, made his presence felt and it was this trio of men who exerted their dominance in the race. 

With seconds of the race to go, it was Nicolo Martinenghi of  Italy who came thundering down his lane towards the finishing line. Peaty, who looked as though he'd narrowly edged out Martinenghi for the gold medal, was there in the final reckoning. But the Italian reached out for the wall and won the gold with barely a fingertip between the two. And so Peaty had to settle for the silver medal and the very real satisfaction of knowing that he'd done everything he could to win when all seemed lost privately.

After years of intensive and gruelling training and preparation, early mornings in the pool and the guidance of  Peaty's coach Mel Marshall, this was the ultimate moment of celebration. Of course, there have been moments of tantrums, turbulence and tantrums between both Peaty and Marshall but now the two hugged each other warmly. High in the crowd was Peaty's inspirational mum, partner and son George. It had been the collective family unit who had been with the twice gold medal winner constantly, positive throughout and backing Peaty all the way.

Some of us harked back to previous Olympian swimmers from the past such as Sharon Davies, Duncan Goodhew and Adrian Moorhouse, whose technical purity had brought all three so much success. Britain had won his first silver medal at these Games and everything in the world was well. There is so much to look forward for Team GB in both the pool and the athletics track next week. For a moment, we bowed our heads respectfully for the late and great David Wilkie, yet another golden British Olympic swimming sensation, a formidable athlete who had swum for his country with so much distinction. It had been that kind of an evening and that kind of day for British sport.