London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 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
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
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
×