Tokyo 2020: Team GB swimmers make history, and Adam Peaty insists Paris 2024 talk doesn’t matter yet

ByMichael Hincks

Updated 01/08/2021 at 05:14 GMT

Adam Peaty, Duncan Scott, Luke Greenbank and James Guy ended Team GB’s campaign in the pool with silver in the men’s 4x100m medley relay. It was Britain’s best-ever showing at an Olympic Games in the swimming, with Scott making history himself. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.

Four golds, three silvers, one bronze. Team GB have enjoyed their best-ever display in the swimming at an Olympic Games, and so after a fruitful Tokyo 2020, Adam Peaty does not want us worrying about Paris 2024 just yet.

“There’s a lot of should-a would-a could-a in the future,” Peaty said after picking up silver along with Duncan Scott, Luke Greenbank and James Guy in the men’s 4x100m mixed relay final – the final race of the swimming at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre.

“You can’t predict the future, there’s no point worrying about tomorrow.” Peaty added. “There’s going to be a lot of talk about what we can do in Paris, but it doesn’t matter, that’s the future.

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• Scott makes history as GB settle for silver behind WR-breakers USA in 4x100m medley
• Peaty: World record gold proves GB swimming 'a force to be reckoned with'

“You can’t predict anything. We’ll just nail each and every single day. Just have a good laugh, be happy. If you worry too much about medals you get tight and tense, if you just enjoy it everything else comes with that.”

Team GB swimming at Tokyo 2020

• GOLD - Adam Peaty, men's 100m breaststroke
• GOLD - Tom Dean, men's 200m freestyle
• GOLD - Men's 4x200m freestyle relay
• GOLD - Mixed 4x100m medley relay
• SILVER - Duncan Scott, men's 200m freestyle
• SILVER - Duncan Scott, men's 200m individual medley
• SILVER - Men’s 4x100m medley relay
• BRONZE - Luke Greenbank, men's 200m backstroke

Silver saw Peaty add to his 100m backstroke and mixed 4x100m medley relay gold. Guy had already won men’s 4x200m freestyle relay and mixed 4x100m medley relay gold, while Greenback won bronze in the men’s 200m backstroke.

‘You can literally achieve anything!’ – Peaty on the hard work behind GB medal rush

But for Scott, it was a moment for the history books, as he became the first British Olympian ever to win four medals at a single Games.

“Over the next couple of days it’ll start to hit me what I’ve achieved in here,” said Scott, who had already won men’s 4x200m freestyle relay gold and silver in the 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley.

“It has been a strange one for me personally. Every race I’ve been delighted but there’s been a little bit of disappointment as well, that’s the natural high standards I try and set myself.

“I am thrilled with that, but people with two golds and a silver (Peaty), I think the rest of the team have done phenomenally well. Without incredible team-mates to race alongside I wouldn’t be where I am.”

‘Look at that from Peaty’ – GB swimmers wildly celebrate world record

A time of 3:27.51 in the medley final was 0.73 seconds shy of USA’s gold-medal winning performance, with Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Zach Apple and Caeleb Dressel combining to record a world-record 3:26.78.

Earlier on Sunday, Dressel had won the 50m freestyle, and the 24-year-old ends the Games with five golds to his name – adding to the two he won at Rio 2016.

Peaty admitted there was disappointment at coming second, but he hopes the next generation of swimmers in the UK are inspired to reach future Olympics.

He added: “I think because we’re all natural racers, we love to win, we love to scrap, there’s got to be a little bit of disappointment there. It’s a silver medal, we’re right next to the world record but the US stepped it up more.

'He really is a spectacular athlete' - Keri-Anne Payne on Adam Peaty's performance

“That’s sport, and kudos to them, but we’ve got to feel the pain, because if we don’t how do we come back stronger for Paris?

“So we regret this moment, but also celebrate what we’ve had this week, we won’t lose touch of that. It’s amazing to see how far this team has come – especially from 2012 – we’ve completely U-turned it.

“Hopefully now the next generation, people watching, we want them to step through and have as much depth as America.”

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