TEAM GB swimmer Matt Richards was gutted to have missed out on gold in the men's 200 metres freestyle final by just two-hundredths of a second. 

Richards was pipped to first by Romania's David Popovici who had entered the final as the favourite on Monday (July 29).

The 21-year-old, from Droitwich, claimed his first silver medal at the Olympics despite being in the less favourable lane one after qualifying in seventh.

While he was pleased with his second-place finish, Richards was left thinking about how close he came to the top step of the podium.

"It's mixed emotions," he said, "An individual Olympic silver medal is massive, it's huge for me, it's something I've dreamt of since I was a little boy.

"I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't dreaming of being one step higher on the podium and that's down to my finish, my technical ability to get pressure into the wall.

"If I got my hand on there first but didn't get enough pressure through the wall, that's not the wall's fault, it's mine."

Olympic swimming pools are fitted with pressure plates the athletes must touch to complete their run. When the pad is activated, a signal is sent to the timing clock to record their time.

It takes around 1.5 kilograms of pressure to activate the plate, meaning the first person to touch the wall may not be the gold medallist if the pressure isn't forceful enough.

"That's something I've got to work on and make sure it doesn't happen again," Richards said, "I'm young, I plan on being in the sport at least another 10 years yet, so every one of these little lessons I learn is hugely valuable."

Richards made his Olympic debut in 2021, as part of the team that won gold in the 4x200 metres freestyle relay.

The 21-year-old's Olympic campaign is far from over, with the 100 metres freestyle, the 4x200 metres freestyle relay and the 4x100 metres medley relay still to come.