Whirlwind seven days for town’s Olympic champion
Swimming: Dean returns to a hero's welcome as hundreds gather to acclaim swimming’s newest star
The reality of what he’s achieved in the last couple of weeks is starting to sink in for Maidenhead’s double Olympic swimming champion Tom Dean. Speaking this week, the 21-yearold, who returned to a hero’s’ welcome in River Road on Monday evening, when hundreds of people – family, friends, neighbours, and swimming club mates – gathered outside his home and rapturously roared their approval for Britain's first male swimmer to win two gold medals at the same Olympics for 113 years.
The road to his house was so crowded with people he had to walk the final 100 yards to chants of ‘Deano, Deano, Deano’, trailed by camera crews and photographers, as well as eager youngsters desperate to have their photo taken with British swimming’s newest star.
He might have been tired from the flight home from Japan, and wearied from his media obligations, but it didn’t show as he enthusiastically greeted each and every well-wisher, hugging and shaking them by the hand before posing for photos with his medals.
Addressing them he admitted to being a little lost for words, but, as ever, he found the perfect ones when he told them ‘These medals are as much yours as they are mine’.
Level-headed for his age, and always ready to acknowledge those who have helped him on his way, Dean will surely take the adulation in his stride as he recharges the batteries before getting back in the pool to begin his bid for European, Commonwealth, World and Olympic glory all over again.
“The welcome home was absolutely amazing,” he said. “It had been a long day of travel.
“The day before had been the last day of racing and I was not quite expecting it, but it was a really nice surprise.
“It has been a bit of a whirlwind for the last seven days. This time last week I was doing my relay, the last swim for me out in Japan.
“Just walking around town, I've had people stopping me and asking for a photo. It’s all just so surreal and I think it’s going to take a little getting
used to. There have been so many people wishing me well done and asking for photos.
“It’s really sweet and just goes to show how many people have tuned in and watched Team GB and have enjoyed watching live sport again and getting behind the athletes out in Tokyo.”
He travelled to Tokyo as the number two ranked swimmer in his favoured event, the 200m individual freestyle, so always felt confident he could bring home a medal, even though he was relatively unknown to the sporting world outside of swimming circles.
However, even he looked shocked and surprised when he turned around to see his name in first place after touching home just 0.04 seconds ahead of teammate Duncan Scott, the man most likely to be his rival for further glory in the coming years.
Just over 24 hours later he was back in the pool to win a second gold medal alongside Matt Richards, training partner James Guy and Scott in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
“In the individual final I knew I had more in the tank, but Duncan had consistently moved it on in the heats and the semi-final, and I knew he would move it on again in the final,” said Dean. “It was just a case of how much. It was always going to be tight, and it was just a case of getting my head down on the last stretch and getting my hands on the wall first.
“The Korean swimmer to my right went out very quickly, in 49.8, under 50 seconds is pretty much unheard of, but I was able to use his wave and it pulled me out to a good split time, and then I just had to keep it going to the end of the 200m. It helped me on the front end, and I was able to move past him on the back end.
“I turned around and saw mine and Duncan’s names, both with 1.44.2, and there were hundredths of seconds in it.
“Luckily, the first place was next to my name and yeah, it then hit me all of a sudden.
“It was complete surprise, shock and excitement. And a feeling of how surreal the moment was, because I’d been thinking about something like this happening for so long and then it finally comes true and it’s a bit crazy to get your head around.”
Dean will now take a little time away from the pool to relax with his family and come to terms with what he’s achieved, but he won’t stay out of the water for long because there are Commonwealth Games – where he and Duncan Scott will compete for different countries - European and World Championships on the horizon over the next 12 months.
He’d like to think his rivalry with Scott in the 200m freestyle will lift both of them to greater heights in the coming years. They now hold the fifth and sixth best times in the event’s history and Dean would love to push his name further up that list alongside some of the legends of the sport such as Michael Phelps.
“To be from the same country, and doing it at the same time is very exciting,” he said. “We’re going to be pushing each other in national, European and Commonwealth competitions, and we’ll be on different teams for that. I don’t think there are many other countries with the number one and number two ranked swimmers in the world and that’s really exciting because it shows the strength of Team GB and the strength of the event as well.
On winning the relay with his teammates, he added: “Winning gold with those guys. It just doesn’t get any better than that. James (Guy) is my training partner and to see all the hard work we put in day in, and day out finally come to fruition with a gold medal was the best thing I could possibly imagine.”
He added: “I’m going to take some time away from the pool and relax, spend time with my family and start planning for the next years. Paris is only three years away and that’s the next big aim really.
“Even in the next 12 months you’ve got Commonwealths, Europeans and World Championships, so it’s going to be a busy season ahead. Resting and recharging is going to be important, but if I’m looking at the next few years and having some longevity in the sport, it’s got to be done.”