‘I thought I’d squandered gold’
WHEN even James Guy is managing not to cry, you know that this is all becoming rather routine for the new swimming superpower that is Great Britain.
Guy has been weeping all week at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. First, when he watched his friend Tom Dean win the 200metres freestyle, then again when he struck gold himself in the 4x200m relay.
Yet yesterday when he stood on the top step of the podium for a second time, there were no tears and even a bit of laughter.
Instead, Guy’s biggest outpouring of emotion following this mixed 4x100m medley win actually came 25 seconds after Anna Hopkin touched the wall a huge 1.28sec ahead of second-placed China. That was the moment the official result flashed up on the big screen and t he 25- year- ol d’s roar echoed around this magnificent arena.
Little did we know then, however, that Guy’s yell was not because he had noticed they had just set a new world record, but because they had not been disqualified. ‘As soon as I dived in, I thought, “I’ve gone too early! I’m going to get a DQ,”’ revealed Guy.
Guy’s fears weren’t realised, however, and how he deserved the good fortune having pulled out of the 100m butterfly to save himself for two relays.
His split time of 50.00sec was the sixth fastest in history and it would likely have won him an individual medal. ‘Pulling out of the 100m fly did hurt,’ he admitted. ‘I was upset, I was crying again — obviously — and I probably could have medalled with that split there, but the decision paid off. We got a gold medal and a world record. You can’t beat that. Double Olympic champion.’
It was a thrilling spectacle, with men and women racing against each other depending on who each nation selected for each stroke. Kathleen Dawson got Great Britain underway in the backstroke and swimming against four men, the Scot finished her leg more than six seconds down.
But then in jumped Adam Peaty, whose split of 56.78sec was the second fastest ever and he brought Britain back into contention in fourth. Next up was Guy and he gave Hopkin a 0.71sec lead that she never looked like letting go of, despite the attentions of Caeleb Dressel.
It’s the first time in 113 years that Great Britain have won four golds in the pool and Hopkin and Dawson have become first women to win at an Olympics since Rebecca Adlington in 2008. ‘It’s been a brilliant