Matthew Richards has gained a silver medal for Staff GB within the 200m freestyle closing.
The Brit, 21, was pipped on the finish by two-hundredths of a second by Romania’s David Popovic in one other vastly dramatic race, which means he was edged out by the identical margin as Adam Peaty within the 100m breastroke closing on Sunday night time.
Regardless of his slender miss, Richards – who gained gold within the 4x200m freestyle relay in Tokyo – put in an excellent efficiency and was virtually joined on the rostrum by fellow Brit Duncan Scott, who got here fourth.
It additionally secured Staff GB’s sixth medal of what has been a vastly encouraging Monday and the accolade was Richards’ first indiviudal Olympic medal.
‘I can not be too disenchanted with that,’ he stated post-race. ‘My first ever indiviual medal on the Olympics so to stroll away with a silver is completely improbable.
Matt Richards gained silver for Nice Britain within the 200m freestyle closing on Monday night
‘Clearly two-hundredths of a second off gold is excruciatingly irritating, but when something it provides extra fireplace to my stomach and I’ve acquired lot extra to go this week.
‘Myself and Duncan being second and fourth, I am gutted for him by simply lacking out on a medal, he deserves it greater than anybody, nevertheless it fuels me on.’
Richards was so near the gold, with Popovici’s wingspan secured his triumph as they each completed and the 21-year-old mirrored on how shut he recreation.
‘It felt as if I had touched first,’ Richards added. ‘I assumed I would acquired it, nevertheless it wasn’t my greatest end, and the time says in a different way and it is black and white on this sport so we’ll see what we will do subsequent time.’
Richards’ exploits had been all of the extra spectacular given he was racing in lane No 1, a historically harder place to swim in.
‘It isn’t ideally suited,’ he defined. ‘That semi-final I misjuded it and being on the market meant I used to be slightly bit out the race.
‘It may generally imply you find yourself on the fallacious aspect of it like tonight however I am 21 and nonetheless younger, and I would like no less than one other 10 years till I even take into consideration hanging up my goggles.
‘It is all a superb studying expertise, and we’ll take that into the remainder of the week.’
Richards can have one other shot at indiviudal gold when he options within the males’s 100m freestyle, whereas he’ll characteristic within the relay occasions in each 100m and 200m freestyle, plus the 4x100m medley relay.
MORE TO FOLLOW
