London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

Gold rush! Britain lands three top medals in five hours at Olympics

Britain won three gold medals in under five hours on an astonishing morning at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday.

Adam Peaty, 26, began the gold rush when he became the first British swimmer to retain an Olympic title after a victory in the 100 metres breaststroke.

A bleary-eyed nation, who had stayed up past 3am to celebrate him entering the history books, only had to wait three hours and 41 minutes before diving sensation Tom Daley could finally put a Games gold medal around his neck.

Daley, 27, burst into tears of joy as he and partner Matty Lee, 23, won in the synchronised 10 metres platform.

The incredible Tokyo 2020 gold rush continued 27 minutes later when Tom Pidcock was victorious in the men’s mountain bike race.

The 21-year-old from Leeds started on the fourth row of the race but quickly powered himself into the leading group to take control.
Team GB were on cloud nine as Alex Yee, 23, from Brockley, south-east London also won a silver medal in the triathlon on his Olympic debut.

Lauren Williams, 22, from Wales, is guaranteed either silver or gold later on Monday in the women’s-67kg taekwondo final after a pulsating semi-final win this morning,

The overnight success saw Britain surge to fourth in the medals table behind China, USA and hosts Japan.

While Peaty was unable to break his own world record of 56.88 seconds, he stormed home in a time of 57.37secs — the fifth fastest in history.

He tweeted afterwards: “For my country, my son and my family.

“For those who stayed up through the night to watch me. For all those people who need a bit of light. You can get through this.”

The double Olympic champion could be forgiven then for swearing on the BBC during a live interview at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

Peaty — who thanked his parents, girlfriend Eiri Munro and the nation for their support — said: “It takes an athlete to be the best person on the day and who f**king wants it more... I’m just so relieved!”

Tom Daley and Matty Lee embrace after winning gold in the synchronised 10 metres platform

Ms Munro watched Peaty from their home in Loughborough, enthusiastically tweeting: “That’s my MAN”. She was also seen cradling their 10-month old son George-Anderson, whose birth Peaty credits with spurring him on to achieve greatness.

Plymouth-born Daley, who lives in London, and Matty Lee, from Leeds, were nerveless as they triumphed ahead of China.

It is Daley’s third Olympic medal after he won bronze at the London and Rio Games.

His three-year-old son Robbie and husband Dustin Lance Black were in in Calgary, Canada and watched him achieve his dream on TV.

Tom Pidcock celebrates on the podium after winning the men’s mountain bike race

“The fact that I can say my son watched me become Olympic champion, albeit on TV and they couldn’t be here, is such a great feeling,” he said.

He added: “You want to win an Olympic gold medal but never think you actually will. There are some beverages with my name on

them to celebrate with my husband and family.

“This means an incredible amount. To be an Olympic champion after four attempts at it feels extremely special.”

Pidcock said his mother Sonja and girlfriend Beth were both crying at home after his phenomenal performance.

He added: “The Olympics just transcends any sport. You compete and represent your country and everyone in your country is behind you, no matter what sports they like. It’s just national pride, it’s unbelievable.”

Having already collected junior or under-23 world titles in cyclo-cross, mountain biking and on the road, Pidcock took things to another level with an Olympic crown as he rode clear of the field, having time to grab a Union flag and hold it aloft as he crossed the line.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×