Adam’s victory is 100th gold with National Lottery support
Adam Peaty has made history by becoming the British Olympian to win the 100th gold medal for Team GB since funding from The National Lottery was introduced.
Peaty’s emphatic victory in the 100m breaststroke on 26th July 2021 – a perfectly executed swim completed in 57.37 seconds – yielded Team GB’s first gold medal of the Tokyo Games. It was also the 100th gold at the summer and winter Olympics for British athletes since support from National Lottery players sparked the revitalisation of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s Games fortunes.
Jason Queally’s victory in cycling’s kilometre time trial in Sydney in 2000 was the first gold medal won with the assistance of the funding – and there have now been 95 more summer golds and four at the winter Games since.
Thanks to Adam’s outstanding performance in Tokyo, Team GB has gone from winning 1 gold medal at Atlanta in 1996 to a landmark 100 in the space of a quarter of a century.
The 26-year-old swimmer told BBC Sport, “It means the world to me. It is not about who is the best all year round, it is who is best on the day. It is about who is adaptable and who wants it more.
“I want to say thank you to my family, my gorgeous partner and my gorgeous son. This victory wasn’t mine, it was the British team’s and my family and friends. I am just so relieved.”
Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport, the body set up to administer the distribution of funds to sports, said: “Many congratulations to Adam Peaty for winning the first gold for Team GB at these Olympics. After the challenges of the last 18 months, it is an amazingly special achievement for Adam to become an Olympic champion again and make sports fans across the UK so proud.
“This gold medal is even more special because it is the 100th won by British athletes at the summer and winter Olympics since the creation of the World Class Performance system, funded by National Lottery players.”
Sally Munday, CEO, UK Sport, said: “I send my congratulations to Adam and I’d also like to send my thanks to every single person who has played The National Lottery in the last quarter of a century. Your generosity has helped UK Sport to fund Olympic and Paralympic sport to an unprecedented extent, which in turn has enabled so many of our athletes to achieve their ambitions.
“This is another extraordinary sporting moment that will lift the spirits of tens of millions of people in the UK who love to see our athletes excel on the greatest stage. We send our best wishes to all the British athletes and teams competing in Tokyo and hope to see many more such moments in the days ahead.”
26th July 2021
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