Tokyo Olympics: Great Britain claim THREE Olympic golds and a silver
‘Never felt such pride!’: Families of Team GB gold winners share joy after Olympic triumph for divers Tom Daley and Matty Lee, swimmer Adam Peaty and cyclist Tom Pidcock
The families of Britain’s hero athletes celebrated today after Team GB had a sensational day in Tokyo on what has been dubbed ‘Mega Monday’, claiming a string of Olympic medals including three golds in just five hours.
Adam Peaty became the first British swimmer to retain an Olympic title with a dominant display in the men’s 100m breaststroke, while Tom Pidcock stormed to gold with a dominant ride in the mountain bike race.
And Tom Daley finally won his first Olympic gold alongside Matty Lee in the men’s synchronised 10m platform – which was Daley’s third Olympic medal after he won bronze at both London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Peaty’s partner Eiri Munro said his victory ‘means a lot’ and she has ‘never felt such pride before’, adding that they had a five-minute chat on FaceTime but ‘didn’t say much to each other because we are both in shock still’.
Pidcock’s mother Sonja, 53, who watched with her husband Giles, 54, from their home in Leeds, said they felt ‘relief and elation’, adding: ‘I wish we could be with him but I can cope with that, he did just win a gold medal.’
Daley’s thrilled grandparents Rosemary and David Daley, both 73, watched his victory from Plymouth, but said the moment was tinged with sadness that his late father Robert, who died ten years ago, could not witness it. Daley’s husband Dustin Lance Black was also filmed celebrating at home as he clenched his fists while watching the win.
Britain’s Lauren Williams later won the silver medal in the women’s -67kg taekwondo after being beaten by Matea Jelic of Croatia, following a pulsating win over Rio bronze winner Ruth Gbagbi in the semi-final earlier in the day.
The British medal flurry at Tokyo 2020 began earlier in the day when Alex Yee continued Team GB’s run of success in Olympic triathlon events with a silver medal on his debut, behind Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt.
Swimmer Adam Peaty (left) and mountain bike competitor Tom Pidcock (right) win gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics today
Tom Daley (left) and Matty Lee celebrate winning gold in the men’s synchronised 10m platform final at Tokyo 2020 today
Tom Daley’s American husband Dustin Lance Black celebrates the gold medal win at Tokyo 2020 as he gets behind Team GB
David Daley and his wife Rosemary celebrate their grandson Tom’s gold medal success in Tokyo today
Lee’s parents Helen and Tim were interviewed on ITV’s Good Morning Britain this morning, with Helen saying it was ‘very emotional’ and Tim adding that it was ‘unbelievable’
The gold in Tokyo today was Tom Daley’s third Olympic medal after he won bronze at London 2012 and Rio 2016
Tom Pidcock of Team GB poses with his gold medal after the men’s cross-country race on day three of the Olympics today
Tom Pidcock of Great Britain is hugged after winning the gold medal during the men’s cross country mountain bike today
(L-R) Tom Pidcock’s girlfriend Beth Zajac, parents Sonja Harper and Giles Pidcock, and grandmother Christine Pidcock
Gold medalist Adam Peaty of Great Britain during the medals ceremony of the 100m breaststroke final on day three today
Peaty’s partner, Eiri Munro, spoke on ITV’s Good Morning Britain today, saying: ‘It means a lot, there have been a lot of sacrifices that we have had to make seeing him win, just seeing him at the Olympics makes him all worth it’
Adam Peaty’s girlfriend Eirianedd Munro watches his win at Tokyo 2020 on TV back home in Loughborough, Leicestershire
Peaty’s father Tim and mother Caroline also both appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain today
Tom Daley (left, with husband Dustin Lance Black) and Adam Peaty (right, with girlfriend Eirianedd Munro and baby George) both won today
Cyclist Tom Pidcock, pictured with his girlfriend Bethany Zajac, also won gold at the Olympic Games in Tokyo today
Britain’s Lauren Williams won the silver medal in the women’s -67kg taekwondo after being beaten by Matea Jelic today
In the diving, nerveless duo Daley and Lee finished with 471.81 points having never dropped out of the top two and took the Olympic title 1.23 points ahead of China, with the Russian Olympic Committee third.
The pair started well after an inward one-and-a-half somersault pike in the first round and continued their form to lead with two rounds left.
China’s poor dive – a score of 73.44 points was ranked sixth in the fourth round – left the route to gold open for Daley and Lee. They scored 93.96 in the fourth round with an impressive backwards three-and-a-half somersaults pike to take charge.
A fifth dive – a reverse three-and-a-half somersaults tuck – earned 89.76 points to put the pressure on China ahead of the final round.
The British pair were 1.74 points ahead and an impressive forward four-and-half somersault tuck earned them 101.01 points and China could not catch them with their final effort.
Daley said he could not believe it after securing his first Olympic gold medal at his fourth games.
‘I mean to finally have this gold medal around my neck after so many – I mean I’ve been diving now for 20 years and this is my fourth Olympic Games and lots of people probably would have counted me out of this Olympics being the older person but I’m in the best shape physically and mentally,’ Daley told the BBC.
‘With the support of Matty coming into this competition and the way that we’ve been preparing, I think we’ve just had that unstoppable mentality this year and this is the first year that I’ve ever been able to think like that – that we are the ones to beat.
‘I still honestly can’t believe what’s happening and I honestly didn’t think I would get there in the first place, but here we are.’
Daley also said: ‘You want to win an Olympic gold medal but never think you actually will. I will carry on but I will definitely take a break. There are some beverages with my name on it to celebrate with my husband and family.
‘This means an incredible amount. All athletes put in such hard work and dedication into our performances. To be an Olympic champion after four attempts at it feels extremely special.’
Lee added: ‘In 2018 I moved my whole life to London from Leeds, I had nothing really in London. Our aim was to get an Olympic medal and for it to go the way we wanted it to is awesome.
‘I owe a lot to Tom because he has taught me a lot.’
Daley dedicated his Olympic gold to his dearly missed father who had supported him through his early years but never saw him win a medal.
The 27-year-old recalled how his father ferried him around the country and the world to pursue his dream to dive but passed away before Tom enjoyed success.
His father Robert died aged just 40 in 2011 when Tom was just 17.
Speaking after his gold medal victory at Tokyo 2020 he said: ‘My journey started in 2001 and I went to a local diving club, saw people diving and thought it was fun.
‘My dad was my biggest cheer-leader. I pestered my dad to take me to the diving pool and from there I was talent scouted. He took me to every single training session and competition he could, whether domestic or international. And when he passed away in 2011 it was extremely difficult for me because he never saw me win an Olympic medal.’
Daley went on to win bronze at London 2012, bronze at Rio 2016 and finally gold at Tokyo 2020.
Lee told how Daley was his idol as a youngster and was honoured to be able to put the gold medal around his neck after their Olympic victory.
The 23-year-old said: ‘I was a massive fan of Tom’s. He was the big thing in British diving for years and years and years. I remember running up to him and asking for photos and signatures. There’s a photo of him and me after he went to the Beijing Olympics. Now we’re best mates and we are Olympic gold medallists.’
Daley added: ‘I’ve been diving now for 20 years and to be able to share that moment with him has been such an incredible journey.’
He revealed how athletes are increasingly open about their sexuality and offered the hand of friendship to any young person worried that they don’t fit in.
Daley added he was ‘proud’ to say ‘I am a gay man and an Olympic champion’
He said: ‘There are more openly out athletes at this Olympics than any previous Games. I came out in 2013. When I was younger I always felt like I was alone and different and didn’t fit in . I thought was something about me that was never going to be as good as what society wanted me to be.
‘I hope that any young LGBT person out there can see that no matter how alone you feel, you are not alone and you can achieve anything. I feel incredibly proud to say I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion. When I was younger I thought I would never be anything or achieve anything because of who I was, but to be an Olympic champion now shows you can achieve anything.’
Daley added that his husband Dustin Lance Black had given him the courage to carry on after he faltered at Rio 2016.
He said: ‘I thought Rio was my best chance and after that my husband said to be that my story doesn’t end here and that our child was going to watch me become an Olympic champion. They were watching on TV today and my son got to see me become an Olympic champion . First and foremost I’m a father and husband – an Olympic medal on top is a dream come true.’
Lee’s parents Helen and Tim were interviewed on ITV’s Good Morning Britain this morning, with Helen saying it was ‘very emotional’ and Tim adding that it was ‘unbelievable’.
Tim said: ‘It was very tense, obviously it was extremely close, the lads did fantastic but the Chinese are the Chinese but they could potentially have… it was pretty tense watching the Chinese but there was a feeling we might just do it.
‘It is hard to think that he was watching him from the stands when Tom was competing, never dreaming that he might be stood on the world stage of the Olympics as his synchro partner.’
Watching all the drama unfold at their respective homes in Plymouth, Devon, were Daley’s thrilled family – including grandparents Rosemary and David Daley, both 73, and uncle Jamie Daley, 49.
Speaking today, the trio said they couldn’t be prouder of what he had achieved after a rollercoaster ride to the top. But they also said the moment was tinged with sadness that his late father Robert couldn’t witness the pinnacle of his success.
Robert died from a brain tumour, aged 40, just a few days after Daley’s 17th birthday and his family said he would have been the ‘proudest man on earth’ after sacrificing everything in his son’s pursuit of glory.
Grandfather David Daley, who had the GB flag hanging out of their home in support, said: ‘We are very, very proud. It is a marvellous thing he has achieved today. He has tried for so many, many years to get the gold.
‘He has now got it and the whole family are extremely proud of his achievements and what he managed today, alongside Matty of course. We now look forward to seeing him in his individual event.
Tom Daley of Britain and Matty Lee Team GB wipe away tears on the podium after winning the gold medal at Tokyo 2020 today
Tom Daley (front) and Matty Lee (back) produced a near-perfect display to take a gold medal
Tears roll down the eyes of Tom Daley as he waits to receive his gold medal after winning the diving event at Tokyo 2020
Gold medallists Britain’s Tom Daley and Matty Lee pose with their medals after wining the men’s synchronised 10m platform
The British pairing were reduced to tears after the judges’ scores came through to confirm they had won the syncronised title
Daley (seen right) has waited 13 years to claim a gold medal having landed bronzes at the previous two Olympic Games
The 27-year-old was left lost for words when it was confirmed that his Olympic dream was complete in winning a gold medal
The two British divers placed the medals around each other’s necks as they stood top of the podium in the diving centre
Lee, making his Olympic debut in Tokyo, showed no fear as they fought back in the final few rounds to defeat China
Daley (left) made his Olympic debut back in 2008 in Beijing but had never before managed to win more than a bronze medal
Team GB’s high score of 471.81 was untouchable even with a thrilling finish by China as they watched on having dived first
The British pair faced an agonising wait after the Chinese pair were last to dive but it was not enough to go and beat Team GB
It was one of the most emotional scenes for Team GB of the Games so far as Lee and Daley added to the Mega Monday haul
Daley with his husband Dustin Lance Black and their son Robbie. The couple do not share pictures with their son’s face online
British Swimming CEO Jack Buckner reacts to Tom Daley and Matty Lee’s diving win, at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre today
Lee told today how Daley was his idol as a youngster. Lee said: ‘I was a massive fan of Tom’s. He was the big thing in British diving for years and years and years. I remember running up to him and asking for photos and signatures. There’s a photo of him and me after he went to the Beijing Olympics [above]. Now we’re best mates and we are Olympic gold medallists’
‘It was quite emotional watching him this morning, Very emotional in fact, but I keep a record of his dives and how the others are doing. I could see by his fourth dive he was going to get at least silver. He was first in his fifth dive, and I knew what the Chinese had to do, and they did that minus one – so we beat them by just over one point. It was cracking and a lovely day for the family.
‘The day is of course tinged with sadness because Robert is not here, and he would have been so proud. But we also want to say a massive thank you to Lance (Tom’s husband) for his support for Tom while they are living together.’
The gold was secured in the pair’s final dive in what was Daley’s fourth Olympic Games, having competed at the Rio 2016 Olympics, London 2012 Olympics and Beijing 2008 Olympics. He had made his Olympic debut at the age of just 14 years old.
Jamie Daley, the brother of Tom’s late dad Robert, joked: ‘It’s about bloody time that he won the gold.’
He added: ‘He has won it with his partner, so it is not just by himself as it takes two to win it. But this means everything to the family, and it is great for his father’s legacy. Tom couldn’t have got there without his hard work. His dad gave a lot, driving him to every job and supporting him in everything he did, and he would have been so proud today as well.
‘He achieved what he has due to the sacrifices he made and the sacrifices everyone – including his dad – made for him. It was all to help Tom and Tom is just phenomenal himself. There is lots of ups and downs but that is diving.
‘It is always good when the Chinese are under pressure as they have shown they can crack under that pressure. When I saw his last dive, I just knew Tom had it in the bag. What an achievement it is from his partner as well. His first Olympics for him as well and that is just outstanding.’
Elsewhere, relief poured out of Peaty after he became the first British swimmer to retain an Olympic title in the final of the men’s 100m breaststroke.
While he was unable to break his own world record of 56.88 seconds, the 26-year-old from Uttoxeter stormed to Team GB’s first gold of Tokyo 2020 by clocking 57.37secs, the fifth fastest time in the event’s history.
His supremacy therefore remains unchallenged with closest challenger Arno Kamminga, the only swimmer other than Peaty to breach the 58-second barrier, finishing a distant 0.63s behind.
Peaty’s coronation has seemed inevitable as not only is his personal best almost a second quicker than anyone else who has ever competed over the distance but he is unbeaten in major competitions in seven years.
But Peaty, who swore twice on the BBC in an emotional poolside interview in the moments after writing his name into the history books, admitted the past year, which has included becoming a first-time father, has had its upheavals.
He said: ‘It’s been a heavy investment. A lot has changed this last year, more than the last five. Becoming a father, buying my first house and some days when I woke up and was like ‘this is hard, this is really hard’.
‘There’s been so many challenges, so many challenges and f****** some breakdowns as well. It’s like ‘what am I doing every single day? Why am I training three times a day, giving it everything for this swim?’.
‘I’ve hidden a lot of emotion from my own family, I’ve hidden a lot of stress and a lot of those moments where I was like ‘this is very, very hard’.
‘It’s like going for a promotion and trying to prove yourself every five years in 56-57 seconds, it’s like to trying to prove what you’re worth.
‘I don’t think people back home would understand the amount of investment which has been put into this swim. For a lot of people they could lose it just in that last moment. For me that amount of investment has paid off.
‘There’s a lot of emotion, I’m probably not going to sleep for a while now, I’m so buzzed because that was the first British swimmer to ever defend a title. You can do what you want all year round; in your own arena, in your own backyard, it doesn’t mean anything, it means everything here.
‘The 99.9 per cent of time that we spend in the dark is for the 0.01 per cent we spend in light.
‘That’s something me and (coach) Mel (Marshall) have always believed in. That’s why I don’t think anyone deserves it more than me and that’s not an arrogant thing.’
Nicolo Martinenghi collected bronze in a time of 58.33s as Britain’s James Wilby missed out on a podium position, settling for fifth as he clocked 58.96s, in a race where Peaty showed his enduring class from the off.
Asked whether he was disappointed he did not lower the benchmark over the discipline he has mastered for much of the last decade, Peaty responded: ‘No, I don’t give a s*** about the time! No one thinks about times.
‘Yes, it would have been amazing to finish on a world record but it’s not about that and Mel said this morning ‘it isn’t about the time, it’s about the race’ and no one races better than me.’
Peaty – who brought a gold medallion with him to the Japanese capital which reminds him of his son, George, who was born last September – read a letter his partner, Eiri, wrote the night before his historic gold medal.
Peaty, who could win a second medal in the 4x100m medley relay later this week, added: ‘The letter goes ‘this is what it’s about’. I’ve had some messages from home but I only choose to read a few because that’s all I need.
‘There’s that film, The Last Samurai: too much mind, too much mind. All you’ve got to do is be present, be in the moment and enjoy it.
‘You don’t even have to think about the stroke, that takes care of itself, so I’m glad I can go home with at least one gold medal.’
Peaty’s partner, Eiri Munro, also spoke on ITV’s Good Morning Britain today, saying: ‘It means a lot, there have been a lot of sacrifices that we have had to make seeing him win, just seeing him at the Olympics makes him all worth it.
‘We had a FaceTime that lasted about 5 minutes, we didn’t say much to each other because we are both in shock still. We were kind of smiling at each other, pretending that we were together because we are a long way away from each other.’
Peaty’s mother Caroline added: ‘Unreal at the minute. I just said congrats we are super proud of you, I could really feel the pressure on him, last time I couldn’t. You can’t take it for granted.’
She continued: ‘It took me a while to fully realise after Rio, I think it is going to be the same this time too. ‘
Peaty’s father Mark told the BBC: ‘It’s fantastic what he’s achieved in his short career at the moment, he’s done very wel;.’
And Caroline added: ‘We felt the pressure that Adam was under.’
She said: ‘I think normally it’s all screams and everything in the Peaty household but last night I think both of us – we knew it was going to be close – but both of us were really quiet.
‘I don’t know why we were so quiet but I was sort of pushing myself back into the sofa because I was a bit petrified, and I thought ‘come on Adam in my head’ but it was so quiet.’
On whether she would have gone to the event itself, rather than an early morning get up to watch it on the TV, she said: ‘Most probably we might have been – I wasn’t too keen on going, but just for Adam, because Adam did say he wanted us out there with Eiri (Eirianedd Munro, Peaty’s girlfriend) and baby George, but we’ve just made the best of it.
Team GB’s Adam Peaty made Olympic history in Tokyo by winning the men’s 100 breaststroke
Briton Peaty held his medal aloft and beamed during the medal ceremony after his triumph
Peaty dominated the field again to remain king of the pool and take Team GB’s first gold medal
Peaty poses with his gold medal after he wins the Men’s 100m Breaststroke and retains his Olympic title in Tokyo today
‘In fact, you can see more at home, you can actually see where he is in the pool, because when we were in Rio we didn’t know who had won until the results came up.’
Also today, Tom Pidcock underlined his status as the most exciting young cyclist in Britain as he stormed to victory in the men’s Olympic mountain bike race in Izu.
Having already collected junior or under-23 world titles in cyclo-cross, mountain biking and on the road, the 21-year-old Yorkshireman took things to another level with an Olympic crown on Monday as he rode clear of the field, having time to grab a Union flag and hold it aloft as he crossed the line.
Even with the celebrations, his margin of victory was 20 seconds over world number one Mathias Flueckiger – the only man who had looked capable of staying in touching distance once Pidcock had made his move midway through the 28.25km race.
The watching crowd – not subject to the same restrictions as those in Tokyo – were denied the hotly anticipated battle with Mathieu van der Poel, who crashed heavily in front of Pidcock early in the race before withdrawing on the fifth lap, but they were still treated to a phenomenal performance.
Pidcock, whose qualification for the event was only confirmed late on because of his commitments in other disciplines, started on the fourth row but wasted no time in getting himself into a leading group.
Tucked in behind Flueckiger and the other Swiss rider Nino Schurter, Pidcock made his move with 17km to go as he charged to the front, then kept the power down as his rivals one-by-one slipped back.
Racing less than two months after breaking his collarbone in a training crash on the road, Pidcock looked in supreme form as others tired in the hot and humid conditions.
Flueckiger stayed just behind Pidcock as long as he could but a slip on the fifth lap opened up a gap from which he never recovered.
As Pidcock rounded the bend on to the finishing line he grabbed a Union flag from a spectator to begin his celebrations, then embraced coach Kurt Bogaerts after crossing the line.
The 21-year-old from Leeds told MailOnline today: ‘It’s nothing like any other race. The Olympics just transcends any sport. You compete and represent your country and everyone in your country is behind you, no matter in what sports they like. It’s just national pride, it’s unbelievable.
‘It’s been a such a hard time coming here from crashing and breaking my collarbone [in May] and that’s just unbelievable.
‘I’m always better when I take control myself. I take my own lines, my own speed. Once we started I was fine, all the nerves kind of went and I concentrated on the race. I’m happy this [the Olympic Games] is only every four years because it’s stressful.
‘I know that my mum and girlfriend are crying at home. It’s sad that they can’t be here but I see them when I get home.’
Pidcock said: ‘It’s nothing like any other race. The Olympics just transcends any sport. You compete and represent your country and everyone in your country is behind you, no matter in what sports they like. It’s just national pride, it’s unbelievable.’
Tom Pidcock underlines his status as the most exciting young cyclist in Britain as he storms to victory in the men’s Olympic mountain bike race in Izu
Tom Pidcock of Great Britain in action during the men’s cross-country race in Izu today
Pidcock, whose qualification for the event was only confirmed late on because of his commitments in other disciplines, started on the fourth row but wasted no time in getting himself into a leading group
Tom Pidcock then capped off a marvellous Monday by winning gold in men’s mountain bike cross-country cycling
Having already collected junior or under-23 world titles in cyclo-cross, mountain biking and on the road, the 21-year-old Yorkshireman took things to another level with an Olympic crown today as he rode clear of the field, having time to grab a Union flag and hold it aloft as he crossed the line
Cyclist Tom Pidcock, pictured with his girlfriend Bethany Zajac, won gold at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo today
Asked why he had attacked early, he added: ‘I’m always better when I take control myself. I take my own lines, my own speed. Once we started I was fine, all the nerves kind of went and I concentrated on the race. I’m happy this s**t’s (the Olympic Games) only every four years because it’s f***ing stressful.’
‘I know that my mum and girlfriend are crying at home. It’s sad that they can’t be here but I see them when I get home.’
When asked how it felt to win gold, Pidcock told Eurosport: ‘Not real really. It’s pretty crazy that I became an Olympian and I was trying to tell myself at the start of the race it’s special just to be here.’
Racing less than two months after breaking his collarbone in a training crash on the road, Pidcock looked in supreme form as others tired in the hot and humid conditions.
Flueckiger stayed just behind Pidcock as long as he could but a slip on the fifth lap opened up a gap from which he never recovered.
As Pidcock rounded the bend on to the finishing line he grabbed a Union flag from a spectator to begin his celebrations, then embraced coach Kurt Bogaerts after crossing the line.
Pidcock said: ‘It’s nothing like any other race. The Olympics just transcends any sport. You compete and represent your country and everyone in your country is behind you, no matter in what sports they like. It’s just national pride, it’s unbelievable.’
Asked why he had attacked early, he added: ‘I’m always better when I take control myself. I take my own lines, my own speed. Once we started I was fine, all the nerves kind of went and I concentrated on the race. I’m happy this s**t’s (the Olympic Games) only every four years because it’s f***ing stressful.’
‘I know that my mum and girlfriend are crying at home. It’s sad that they can’t be here but I see them when I get home.’
When asked how it felt to win gold, Pidcock told Eurosport: ‘Not real really. It’s pretty crazy that I became an Olympian and I was trying to tell myself at the start of the race it’s special just to be here.’
His elated mother said she was left in tears after he bagged Britain’s first ever gold medal in mountain biking at the Olympics today. Sonja Harper, 53, said she watched nervously as her son took first place in the men’s mountain bike cross-country race in Tokyo.
She said she knew when Tom just four years old that he was born to ride on two wheels. Watching with her husband Giles Pidcock, 54, from their home in Leeds, she said they felt ‘relief and elation’.
Silver medalist Alex Yee of Great Britain during the medal ceremony for the Men’s Triathlon race of the Tokyo 2020 Games
Alex Yee (back) bagged a silver medal on his Olympic debut in an impressive men’s triathlon
Yee (right) was making his Olympic debut and he showed he will be a big player in the future
Sonja, a fitness instructor, said: ‘I’m feeling relief and elated, and really emotional. A bit sad we can’t be with Tom, and can’t celebrate tonight. I’ve been crying all morning, but in the end, I just feel completely delighted for Tom after everything he’s done to get here.
‘I wish we could be with him but I can cope with that, he did just win a gold medal.’
She added: ‘From when he was four you could tell he was so skilful on the bike. He had a cheap bike but it felt like it belonged to him. We knew he would be an amazing cyclist but even this is beyond our wildest dreams.’
Pidcock, nicknamed ‘Tigger’ by his family as he is always ‘bouncing around’, will turn 22 on Friday and can expect an Olympic celebration when he returns home next Monday.
Sonja added: ‘We never thought about the Olympics because Tom was always a road cyclist. But this is the best birthday present he could have ever asked for. When he’s back, we’re going to have some great celebrations.’
The dedicated Yorkshireman has been training on his own in Andorra away from family and friends in anticipation for the summer Olympics.
He had been a road cyclist for most of his professional career and had dreams of winning the Tour de France until he won the U23 Mountain Bike championships last year in Austria.
Mother Sonja said that he has devoted his life to the sport which takes up 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She said: ‘We haven’t ever had a family holiday for as long as I can remember because we went for training camps.
‘During Covid he has worked on his own in Andorra, his girlfriend has been in England. It’s hard work, and it’s lonely. It’s eating right, sleeping right, missing your family, all the time. It’s 24/7. He’s so dedicated to his training.’
Sonja, whose youngest son Joe is also a professional cyclist, said that despite the heroic achievement she was proudest of the ‘young man Tom has become’.
She said: ‘I’m so proud of his achievements and of course this brilliant result in Tokyo, but the kind of young man he has become is what makes me the proudest.’
Earlier today, Yee began the medal flurry as he got his first ever Olympic medal, claiming silver in the men’s triathlon.
Yee came agonisingly close to Britain’s first gold medal of these Olympics in the early hours of this morning, only to be beaten by Kristian Blummenfelt.
The Norwegian passed with just two kilometres remaining of the brutal test, running away to take the elusive prize.
Yee said: ‘I’m just a normal guy from south-east London. Dreams really do come true.
‘It hasn’t sunk in quite yet, it doesn’t feel quite real that it’s me. I hope I can just serve as an inspiration to many people that this is possible and I’m not anything special.’
He added: ‘I think I probably timed it (the run) a little bit wrong, leaving it a little bit late to close the gap to Kristian. Once I got halfway across it I was pretty cooked, I was starting to feel the heat and stuff.’
Jonny Brownlee finished fifth to add to his brilliant collection of one bronze and one silver.
Also today, Lauren Williams came agonisingly close to capping magic Monday – but fell to a staggering late onslaught from Croatia’s Matea Jelic.
The Welsh 22-year-old was up by six points with 19 seconds left and three points with 14 seconds to go but Jelic’s clinical attack saw her opponent snatch the gold from her grasp.
In the end, the margin of victory was 25-22, but Williams did everything bar finish a nervewracking contest off.
Earlier in the day, she had overcome Ivory Coast’s Ruth Gbagbi 24-18 to book her spot in the final. She then had a gruelling wait of close to five hours ahead of the gold medal clash.
Williams’s journey to the Olympics included a stay in a mobile home. At the age of 14 she moved from Blackwood to Manchester to train with Great Britain’s taekwondo team at their HQ. Because of her age, she was too young to stay in digs and so instead lived with her mother in the family’s caravan, sleeping on sofas.
She was inspired by Jade Jones’s taekwondo gold at London 2012 while in another caravan on a family holiday. Jones, who made a shock early exit, was in the arena to watch the drama unfold.
Croatia’s Matea Jelic, right, shares a light moment with Britain’s Lauren Williams at the end of taekwondo women’s event
Lauren Williams (red) of Great Britain in action against Matea Jelic (blue) of Croatia in their bout during the taekwondo final
Lauren Williams of Britain in action against Matea Jelic of Croatia in the taekwondo final in Tokyo today
The Welsh girl’s preparation for Tokyo has not been orthodox, to say the least. Last year, her family were evacuated from the family home on VE Day when her dad, Allan, discovered a suspected bomb while doing a spot of gardening. The alarm saw three streets evacuated, with socially-distanced celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II temporarily halted before the bomb was found to be an old fence post.
Williams turned her folks’ living room into a gym after moving back to South Wales at the start of lockdown and joked that she destroyed ornaments in the build-up to Japan. On an emotional night, everyone was left in pieces.
In the hockey, Great Britain’s men’s hockey team continued their impressive opening to the Tokyo Olympics by recording a second successive win.
After defeating South Africa in their first pool game, Britain saw off Canada 3-1 at the Oi Hockey Stadium. Sam Ward and Liam Ansell, scorers in the South Africa encounter, were once again on target.
Ansell gave his team the lead before Ward struck, then Ansell’s second – it came after Canada had cut the deficit – eased any late nerves.
Ansell and company are next in action on Tuesday, with the much tougher proposition of tackling Germany. Ireland’s women conceded three times during the final quarter as they suffered a 4-0 defeat against Holland.
Meanwhile Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski’s hopes of a medal in the men’s doubles were ended by a second-round defeat against Japanese pair Ben McLachlan and Kei Nishikori.
Murray and Skupski survived a nail-biter in the first round but were unable to produce another comeback, going down 6-3 6-4 at Ariake Tennis Park.
It has been a difficult season for Murray and his lack of confidence was clear at times, while Skupski also missed some key shots, and one break in each set was enough for the impressive Japanese duo to progress to the quarter-finals.
Murray said: ‘We’re disappointed to lose, obviously. The Olympic Games comes round once every four years and everyone wants to do well, everyone dreams of coming in and winning a medal.
‘It was a tough match for us today. I think the other guys played very well, especially at the start to put us under the pump a bit. Just a tough day.’
This was Murray’s fourth appearance at the Olympics and he had to digest another early loss after only one win in three Games alongside his brother Andy.
It is not unusual for doubles players to compete into their 40s and, asked if he could have another shot in Paris in 2024, Murray said: ‘Maybe.
‘I’ll be 38 then. There’s plenty of guys here still going strong at that age so we’ll see. If I am there, I guess it’s testament to the longevity of my career to play at that level for however many years.’
Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury will play their second-round match against German duo Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz on Tuesday, while Liam Broady takes on Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of the singles.
Elsewhere, Momiji Nishiya made history at the age of just 13 today as she became the first women’s Olympic street skateboarding champion.
A day after Yuto Horigome won the men’s competition for the host nation, Nishiya doubled up for Japan as she triumphed ahead of Brazil’s Rayssa Leal, also 13.
The sport, making its Olympic debut, has already taken these Games by storm and the sight of these two youngster battling it out for gold only added to the drama at the Ariake Urban Sports Park.
Nishiya finished with a score of 15.26 compared to 14.64 for Leal, who was looking to become the youngest ever Olympic champion but instead had to settle for being the youngest medallist in 85 years.
Japan’s Funa Nakayama, 16, completed an all-teenage podium with a score of 14.64.
Also today, Katie Ledecky was level-headed after being upstaged in the final of the women’s 400 metres freestyle as Ariarne Titmus claimed gold in her first Olympic medal race.
Ledecky set a world record in topping the podium at Rio 2016 but the American was beaten by over a second in the discipline at the 2019 World Championships by her Australian rival, setting up an intriguing showpiece in Tokyo.
The six-time Olympic gold medallist hit the front early on at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre and was just ahead at the halfway stage, but Titmus upped her level to come home in a time of three minutes and 56.69 seconds.
A magnanimous Ledecky, who settled for silver after finishing 0.67secs behind, said: ‘It was certainly a tough race and I delivered. I couldn’t do much better than that. It was a tremendous race, a lot of fun.
‘I can’t be too disappointed. It was my second-best swim ever (over the distance). I felt like I fought tooth and nail and that’s all you can ask for.
‘I didn’t feel like I died or really fell off. (Titmus) just had a faster final 50 or 75 metres and got her hand to the wall first.’
The battle between the 20-year-old Titmus and Ledecky will continue later this week as they both go for gold in the 200m and 800m women’s freestyle events.
Reflecting on her success, Titmus said: ‘It is the biggest thing you can pull off in your sporting career, so I’m over the moon. Honestly, at 200 metres I was a bit worried, but I did not come to the Olympic Games unprepared.
‘I had to trust myself and stay as composed as I could. Use the speed that I have. And all that against a woman who has an amazing back end of her race. I’m really proud.
‘I’m trying to contain it as much as I can. I have a big programme ahead of me, but I can enjoy this afterwards.’
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