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Adam Peaty’s hopes of adding more medals to his individual breaststroke silver at Paris 2024 have been thrown into doubt after the Team GB swimmer tested positive for Covid-19.
Peaty narrowly missed out on an historic gold in the 100 metres breaststroke, denied a treble by just two hundredths of a second as Nicolo Martinenghi got the touch to take victory.
Speaking afterwards, the 29-year-old suggested that he had woken up with a slightly scratchy throat, and his symptoms worsened in the hours after winning silver.
Team GB have now confirmed that Peaty tested positive for Covid on Monday, leaving his further participation at the Games uncertain.
“Adam Peaty began feeling unwell on Sunday, ahead of his Men’s 100m Breaststroke final,” Team GB said in a statement. “In the hours after the final, his symptoms became worse and he was tested for Covid early on Monday morning. He tested positive at that point.
“He is hopeful to be back in competition for the relay events later in the swimming programme. As in any case of illness, the situation is being managed appropriately, with all usual precautions being taken to keep the wider delegation healthy.”
Peaty would be due to be a key part of Great Britain’s men’s and mixed 4x100m medley relay quartets having helped the latter unit to gold at Tokyo 2020.
The men’s final is not until the final night of competition at La Defense Arena on Sunday 4 August, with the mixed event concluding a day prior. James Wilby, who missed out on the final of the individual 100 metres, would be in line to deputise on the breaststroke leg if Peaty is unable to compete.
His absence would be a major blow to Team GB’s medal hopes, and Peaty’s charge up the all-time list of Britain’s most successful Olympians.
The individual silver in Paris was his sixth medal overall, a tally exceeded by only cyclists Jason Kenny, Bradley Wiggins and Chris Hoy.
Peaty admitted that the sore throat had bothered him on Sunday, but said that he did not wish to use it as an excuse for his defeat.
“I’ve had a bit of a curveball with my throat but, please, it’s no excuse at all,” Peaty stressed. “But it’s a curveball I’ve had to respond to.
“You can train eight years for something and not feel 100 per cent on the day and (not being) 100 per cent costs you 0.02 seconds, that’s just the way it is.
“I’m so happy to pass the baton to Nicolo because I’ve been racing him for so long. All I could see in my eyes were Qin [Haiyang] and Arno [Kamminga].
“They are two of the best executors in that final, but that’s just sport. I got a little bit blindsided, I touched the wall and I truly believed I got it but it wasn’t meant to be.”
The positive test will also raise fears of the virus spreading through the British team and the Olympic Village more widely.
Five Australian women’s water polo team players tested positive for Covid ahead of the Games, while masks were worn at the Tour de France earlier in July after a number of riders, including Tom Pidcock, contracted the virus.
