Tokyo 2020: The Moments That Made Us 

Tokyo 2020 08 Aug 21

Tokyo 2020 will go down in history as a unique Olympic Games but one thing didn’t change – Team GB’s athletes bringing home a healthy haul of medals. 

There were 64 in total, just one shy of the London 2012 haul, with 22 golds from a number of different sports. 

Those gold medals will live long in the memory of both athletes and fans, so here’s a look back at the (Tokyo 2020) Moments That Made Us. 

Adam Peaty – men’s 100m breaststroke (Swimming) 

For the second Olympics in a row, Adam Peaty got the gold rush started with a typically dominant 100m breaststroke victory in the pool. 

Quite simply one of the greatest sportspeople Britain has ever produced, Peaty extended an unbeaten streak in his favoured event that stretches all the way back to 2014 and became the first Brit to defend an Olympic swimming title in the process. 

A first Olympic title since the birth of his son, George-Anderson Adetola Peaty, made the victory even more special and the man with the 16 fastest 100m breaststroke times in history demonstrated his iron will to succeed. 

“It takes an athlete to be the best person on the day and who wants it more,” said Peaty. “I wanted it more. I know they are trying to get me but that’s where the training comes in. 

 Adam Peaty: The Journey to Olympic swimming greatness

Tom Daley and Matty Lee – men’s synchronised 10m platform (Diving) 

Peaty wasn’t the only Team GB icon to strike gold early on as Tom Daley finally became an Olympic diving champion after bronze medals at London and Rio. 

Daley, along with partner Matty Lee, produced the performance of a lifetime at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre to edge out Chinese duo Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen by just 1.23 points.

Daley’s knitting of a cardigan while supporting his diving teammates also caught the eye throughout the Games and he dedicated the emotional victory to his husband Dustin Lance Black and son Robbie. 

"It was my husband who said to me my story wasn't finished and that my son or child, we didn't know at the time, needed to be there to watch me win an Olympic gold medal,” he said. “The fact that I can say my son watched me become Olympic champion, albeit on TV, is such a great feeling.”

Tom Pidcock – men’s cross-country (Cycling Mountain Bike) 

In May, Tom Pidcock broke his collarbone in four places but was back on the bike just six days later and that sort of dedication led him to a memorable Tokyo moment. 

Pidcock is a remarkable cycling talent in a number of disciplines – cyclo-cross, on the road and even on the track – but it was on the mountain bike that he became the first Brit to win a medal in the discipline by notching an incredible gold. 

The 21-year-old’s searing solo attack eventually led to victory by 20 seconds and left him reflecting on a momentous achievement. 

“It's nothing like any other race. The Olympics just transcends any sport,” he said. “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."  

Tom Dean – men’s 200m freestyle (Swimming) 

Tom continued to be a lucky name in the early part of Tokyo 2020 for Team GB, as almost exactly 24 hours after Peaty got the golden ball rolling, Tom Dean followed – with Duncan Scott not far behind. 

For the first time since 1908, Team GB secured a swimming one-two at an Olympic Games as Dean touched the wall first in the men’s 200m freestyle and Scott was mere hundredths of a second behind in silver. 

At just 21 years old, Dean – who contracted COVID-19 twice in the 12 months prior to the Games – reached the top of the swimming mountain and the videos of his friends and family celebrating back home in Maidenhead went viral on social media.

“I contracted COVID-19 twice in the last 12 months, I had six or seven weeks out during an Olympic year which is almost unheard of,” explained Dean. “When I was sitting in my flat in isolation, an Olympic gold seemed a million miles off.” 

Tom Dean, James Guy, Matt Richards, Duncan Scott and Calum Jarvis - men’s 4x200m freestyle relay (Swimming) 

Tokyo 2020 turned out to be a banner Games in the pool for Team GB, with their biggest ever swimming medal haul and the joint most golds at a single Olympics in history. 

The third of those was the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay squad following on from the remarkable success in the individual event by obliterating the competition to finish 3.23s clear of the Russian Olympic Committee and just 0.03s outside the world record. 

GB’s fab four, and the ‘fifth Beatle’ – heat swimmer Calum Jarvis – made history with a first victory in the event for 113 years and Scott finally tasted gold after three prior Olympic silvers (to which he added a fourth and fifth later in the Games).

Scott said: “For myself and Jimmy [James Guy] in particular, we’ve been on so many 4x200m freestyle squads together, we’ve been able to win Worlds, Europeans but this was just really special with these boys.” 

Bethany Shriever – women’s BMX racing (Cycling BMX Racing) 

It seems BMXs really are like London buses, you wait years for a medal and then two come along in 11 minutes. 

Beth Shriever's gold and Kye Whyte's silver delivered one of Team GB's moments and enduring images of these Games, the latter hoisting the former into the air in scenes of celebration.

From working as a teaching assistant in a nursery as recently as 2018, to wearing Olympic gold around her neck after brilliantly beating her rivals in the BMX racing, the 22-year-old’s moment in the sun was well-deserved. 

“Beth is a wonderful woman, a great training partner and now she's the best in the world and I'm not far behind,” said Whyte. “That's pretty cool for two south London kids.” 

Jess Learmonth, Jonny Brownlee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Alex Yee - mixed relay (Triathlon) 

Triathlon provided fitting farewells and new beginnings as Team GB won the first-ever Olympic mixed relay gold medal and finally allowed Jonny Brownlee to climb the top step of the podium in what was likely his Games swansong.

Alex Yee, silver medallist in the men’s individual triathlon, led the British quartet home to cement his spot as the future of the sport after Jess Learmonth, Brownlee and Georgia Taylor-Brown had put him in the perfect position. 

But it was Brownlee’s contribution that rightly got the most attention – as after competing in his older brother Ali’s shadow for so long, the Yorkshireman finally had gold to add to his Olympic silver and bronze. 

“The Olympics, I’ve completed it,” grinned Brownlee. “If someone had said at the start of my international career I’d have three Olympic medals and three different colours, I’d have taken that.” 

Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy, Anna Hopkin and Freya Anderson - 4x100m mixed medley relay (Swimming) 

The final gold medal for Team GB’s unstoppable swimmers came in the first-ever 4x100m mixed medley relay and once again, the dominance shown in the pool was startling. 

The quartet of Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Anna Hopkin delivered a dominant display to smash the world record by 0.83s, highlighted by Peaty’s frankly absurd split of 56.78s, a full 0.1s better than his own 100m breaststroke world record. 

One of the mixed medley relay’s unique charms is the novelty of seeing male and female swimmers go head-to-head – with countries able to decide for themselves which gender swims which leg – and Hopkin certainly made the most of bettering American legend Caeleb Dressel on the breaststroke leg. 

“It’s pretty cool to say I’ve beaten Caeleb Dressel,” quipped Hopkin. “I didn’t really look at where he was, that would have taken my focus away from what I was doing but it’s pretty cool to have been in the same race as him.” 

Charlotte Worthington – women’s park (Cycling BMX Freestyle) 

Former chef Charlotte Worthington cooked up another golden recipe for Team GB's BMX stars as she won the first BMX Freestyle competition to take place at the Olympic Games.

An error on her first run left her needing to produce something spectacular - and how she did, landing a gravity-defying 360 backflip that has never been landed by a woman in competition. 

It meant she scored 97.50 out of a possible 100 to edge hot American favourite Hannah Roberts, who had scored 96.10 on her first run, into silver just five years after she first started competing in BMX. 

"It’s kind of unreal, I’m waiting to wake up," said Worthington, who just four years previously had been pulling long shifts as a chef in a Mexican restaurant in Chorlton. "I’ve been dreaming about this for four years, and it still feels like I’m dreaming four years ago, I’m still waiting to wake up.” 

Max Whitlock – men’s pommel horse (Artistic Gymnastics) 

Max Whitlock produced a peerless and outwardly nerveless display to retain his Olympic pommel horse title and promptly admitted the real somersaults were inside his stomach.

Whitlock was the first of eight to compete in the final and posted a score of 15.583 to set the standard that ultimately no-one could match for his sixth Olympic medal and third gold after pommel and floor glory at Rio. 

It was his first Olympic title since the birth of his daughter Willow and perhaps the most special of them all for the likeable gymnast. 

"The pressure was on as the first man up. This was the most nervous I've been for any competition I've ever done,” he said. "Retaining titles is ten times harder than chasing, today was a million times harder.” 

Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and Oliver Townend - team eventing (Equestrian) 

Team GB’s 49-year team eventing hoodoo was finally ended by Oliver Townend, Laura Collett and Tom McEwen as they struck gold to end a run of silver medals.

Since triumphing in 1972, British riders came second in Los Angeles, Seoul, Sydney, Athens and London, plus claiming bronze in Beijing, before the Tokyo trio and their respective 'horses of a lifetime' - delivered the best result in generations to push Australia and France into silver and bronze. 

For Collett in particular – just eight years after a heavy fall that left her with spine, shoulder and rib fractures, spending six days in a coma after her life was saved by the air jacket she was wearing – the achievement was particularly staggering. 

“Just to be here was more than a dream come true and to be stood here winning a gold medal, it hasn't sunk in," said Collett "I look back and I think back to where I was eight years ago, I knew I was lucky to be alive, let alone able to do the job that I love.”

Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell – 49er (Sailing) 

A golden sailing trilogy took place for Team GB in the space of 24 hours and Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell taking 49er glory kicked it all off. 

Five years after missing out on Rio selection and almost calling time on his sailing career, Bithell struck gold – poetically with the rival who took his place at the previous Olympics. 

There was drama on the waters as the Brits needed to finish two positions clear of New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke in the medal race to triumph and did, by just centimetres. 

“Dreams come true kids," said Bithell. "I’ve certainly never seen a race that close in the Olympics. It must have been thrilling to watch, it was terrible to be in.” 

Giles Scott – Finn (Sailing) 

Sailing is not supposed to be a game of inches but on Sagami Bay, on a race course measured in miles not metres, fractions mattered for Giles Scott. 

Needing a top-five finish in the medal race to guarantee gold, a horror start left him frantically racing through the fleet as the finish line loomed ever closer. 

Eventually, he crossed the line in fifth, by a margin almost invisible to the naked eye, and became a double gold medallist. 

"I tried to stay relaxed but I've never been involved in a boat race as close as that," he said. "That's the greatest pressure of my career. It climbed throughout the race, that was full-on.” 

Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre – women’s 470 (Sailing) 

British sailing’s golden treble was rounded out by Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre in the women’s 470 class, as Mills’ Tokyo 2020 journey started and ended with history. 

Having been selected as one of two Team GB flagbearers for the Opening Ceremony, the Welsh whizz then became the most decorated female sailor in Olympic history as she won her second gold to go along with a London 2012 silver. 

Combining expertly with exceptional crew McIntyre, Mills survived a late French onslaught to defend her title from Rio. 

“There have been so many incredible female sailors, so to be up there doesn’t feel real,” said Mills. “I am sure that will get trumped soon and that will be amazing when it does.” 

 Mills: This doesn't feel real

Ben Maher – individual jumping (Equestrian) 

Ben Maher was already set for the summer of his life, with his wedding planned for a fortnight after Tokyo 2020, and he’ll be able to wear an Olympic gold medal on the big day should he so choose. 

A dramatic six-rider jump-off was needed to determine the winner of the individual show jumping gold and Maher followed in Nick Skelton’s footsteps to triumph. 

Victory was vindication for the Brit’s confidence after he called his horse, Explosion W, the Ferrari of show jumping and insisting they were so in tune, the 12-year-old gelding could probably make him breakfast. 

Maher said: “I don’t know what was more pressure, this or getting married in two weeks! There are so many people who have contributed to make this possible and hopefully we will get home and have a big celebration.” 

Matt Walls – men’s omnium (Cycling Track) 

Medal number 50 for Team GB at these Games was fittingly a gold, as Matt Walls surged to omnium glory to get the British ball rolling in the velodrome. 

Walls scored 153 points across four different disciplines in one intense day, beating New Zealand’s Campbell Walsh by a commanding 24 points, and led from wire to tape for a scintillating triumph. 

He was struck down by COVID-19 in March but the man from Oldham bounced back in style to write his name in the history books. 

“Coming in here, everything was a bit of an unknown,” he admitted. “I came in knowing I was in good shape. I didn’t know how it would translate to the track or my tactics from the track, it’s been a long time since I have raced.” 

Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald – women’s madison (Cycling Track) 

As cool as cool can be on the track but even after five gold medals, the greatest British female Olympian of all time insists she still gets so nervous before races that she could throw up. 

Laura Kenny combined with Katie Archibald to win the first-ever Olympic women’s madison in an almost ridiculously dominant fashion – as the chaotic, unpredictable discipline was completely mastered by the Brits. 

Kenny became the first British woman to take home golds from three separate Games and joined Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Bradley Wiggins and her own husband Jason Kenny as Brits with at least five Olympic titles. 

“It’s unbelievable – I've never wanted to win a race so much in all my life,” admitted Kenny. “I could have thrown up right before the start. It meant so much to us and we’d worked so hard for that medal.” 

 History-making Laura Kenny named Team GB's flagbearer for Closing Ceremony

Kate French – women’s individual (Modern Pentathlon) 

Kate French re-established Team GB’s place at the top of the women’s modern pentathlon mountain with a dramatic victory in perhaps the Olympics’ most unique event 

French fenced, swum, rode, shot and ran her way to glory to banish any memories of Rio 2016, where Team GB left without a female medallist in the sport for the very first time at a Games.

She entered the decisive laser-run in fifth position, 15 seconds back, but a brilliant first pistol shoot eradicated the deficit and she sealed glory from there. 

French said: “Winning Olympic gold has been on my mind for a long time. It has always been a dream and I cannot believe it has come true.” 

Galal Yafai – men’s flyweight (Boxing) 

Just six years after working in a Land Rover factory in Solihull, shifting boxes, Galal Yafai became Olympic champion in men’s flyweight boxing. 

While the six boxing medals won by Team GB was their best at an Olympics for a century, gold had proved elusive until the penultimate day of the Games, when Yafai overcame Carlo Paalam with a brilliant, attacking performance. 

The Brummie used to laugh when his coaches suggested he would become Olympic champion but his display in Tokyo was no joke as he fulfilled a lifelong ambition – adding to the boxing legacy of his older brothers Kal and Gamal. 

“Olympic champion man, it’s crazy,” beamed Yafai. “You don’t really get much of a smile out of me but I’m over the moon.” 

Joe Choong – men’s individual (Modern Pentathlon) 

Joe Choong sealed a golden modern pentathlon double for Team GB as he followed Kate French’s lead with a gun-to-tape victory in Tokyo. 

He led from the fencing ranking round and while he was level with Egypt's Ahmed Elgendy heading into the final 800m, Choong sprung away late on to cross the line five seconds ahead and become the first British man to win a modern pentathlon medal since 1976. 

In March 2020, Choong had been the dominant force in men’s modern pentathlon and although the pandemic left him fearful his edge had slipped, he seized his moment on the biggest stage. 

"I just remember that it was a pretty dark time [last March], I was just unmotivated and didn't train for a few weeks,” he said. “I just struggled to get interested in the sport again but now, it's unbelievable, I’ve just got so many emotions going through my head … disbelief, shock.” 

Jason Kenny – men’s keirin (Cycling Track) 

Arise King Kenny. The final day of the Olympics delivered one of the most historic moments in the 125 years of the event as Jason Kenny moved out on his own as the greatest Brit of all. 

Kenny was deadlocked with Sir Chris Hoy on six golds and Sir Bradley Wiggins on eight medals heading into the day but defended his keirin title in a stunning race at the Izu Velodrome to become the first Team GB athlete to win nine Olympic medals and seven golds. 

He sprung clear from his rivals with three laps to go and put the hammer down from there, catching them all napping and opening up a huge advantage that ended with the 33-year-old on top of the world once again. 

"Seven gold medals is really special. When you look back on the ones you have already got it seems pretty easy,” he said. “Then when you try and get more, you remember how hard it is.” 

 Jason Kenny: The journey of an Olympic legend

Lauren Price – women’s middleweight (Boxing) 

Prince William encouraged Lauren Price to make her grandad proud in Tokyo and as the last embers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games flickered out, she heeded every word.  

The middleweight delivered Team GB’s 22nd and last gold on the final day to become Wales’ first ever Olympic boxing champion – beating Li Qian by unanimous decision.

Price’s grandad Derek, who raised her, died last November of dementia and had the Olympics gone ahead as scheduled a year ago, he would have seen her compete – making for an emotional moment. 

“When the decision came, I looked up to him [grandad],” said Price, who also has 52 football caps for Wales and is a four-time kickboxing world champion. “He was a massive part of my life and if it wasn’t for him or my nan, I wouldn’t have achieved anything.” 

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