London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Three golds and two silvers for Team GB on ‘Magic Monday’ at Tokyo Olympics

Three golds and two silvers for Team GB on ‘Magic Monday’ at Tokyo Olympics

Swimmer Adam Peaty, divers Tom Daley and Matty Lee and mountain biker Tom Pidcock all won gold

Britain’s Olympians soared and awed on a Magic Monday in Tokyo, winning three golds in just five hours.

Adam Peaty, Team GB’s banker in these Olympics, retained his 100m breaststroke title in the small hours of the UK morning, becoming the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title. And as diver Tom Daley wept tears of joy on the podium, his gold medal ambitions – alongside Matty Lee – finally realised after 13 years, and Tom Pidcock claimed surprise mountain bike glory, a smouldering opening couple of days for Team GB suddenly caught fire on day three.

All told, there were five medals for Team GB across 13 hours of action, with a glorious day bookended by an early-morning silver for triathlete Alex Yee and a late-night silver for taekwondo star Lauren Williams.

On a day that carried echoes of London 2012’s Super Saturday and Rio 2016’s Sensational Sunday, it was Daley’s gold alongside Lee in the 10m synchronised platform in Tokyo that tugged hardest on the heartstrings.

It had been a long time in the making – Daley’s career has faced numerous twists and turns inside and outside the water. But after missing out as a precocious 14-year-old competing in Beijing, and hoping for more than bronze medals in London and Rio, he was understandably delighted after a nerveless final dive sealed victory over the Chinese pair, Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen.

Tom Daley and Matty Lee competing in the men’s synchronised 10m platform final.


Afterwards Daley, 27, revealed that he had needed surgery just two months ago after tearing the meniscus in his knee. He also said he hoped his performance would inspire other young LGBT athletes.

It was far less of a surprise to see Peaty add another Olympic title in a time of 57.37 seconds, the fifth fastest time in the event’s history over two lengths. Not only is he unbeaten in the 100m breaststroke in major competitions in more than seven years, he is also the only man who has ever been quicker.

After swearing in delight live on the BBC – and quickly apologising – the 26-year-old said his wife, Eiri, had written him a letter that he had carried with him to Tokyo and read before his final.

“It said: ‘This is what it is all about,’” he said. “This is why I have been training three times a day, giving everything, this is why I do it. The 99.99% of the time we spend in the dark is for the 0.01% we spend in the light.”

Tom Pidcock after winning the gold medal in the men’s cross-country mountain biking.


But a sensational day for Team GB was far from over, as Pidcock broke clear on the final lap to win the country’s first ever medal in mountain biking. The 21-year-old – who took advantage of an early crash by the big favourite, Mathieu van der Poel – admitted it had been a struggle to come back after breaking his collarbone in May.

“I haven’t done a good race since,” he said. “I’ve trained really hard, I knew I was in great shape, but there’s always doubt when I haven’t performed in a race. But once the race started, I knew I was in a good place. The heat, I mean, obviously I didn’t feel good, but everyone just told me: no one will feel good.”

Team GB’s Lauren Williams in red, competing against Matea Jelić of Croatia.


“I know that my mum and girlfriend are crying at home,” he added. “It’s sad that they can’t be here, but I’ll see them when I get home.”

The day was bookended by two silvers for Team GB that were nearly golds. Early on, Yee led in the final stages of the men’s triathlon only for the Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt to power clear towards the finish. The race will also be remembered for an inflatable boat packed with photographers that floated across the start line just as the klaxon to begin went off, causing chaos and a restart. Yee had already swum 150m.

At the end of the Tokyo day, Williams took silver in the 67kg taekwondo. Like Bradly Sinden the day before, Williams was leading with seconds to spare, but lost to Matea Jelić of Croatia. “I had her, 10 seconds, I just let it go … I made a mistake and let it go. It’s on me,” Williams said. “I went out there to win and tried my best but it didn’t happen on the day. I am very happy with how I performed but it’s a shame she got it. An Olympic silver medal is not bad, is it?”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×