Team GB member Tom Bosworth broke his own British record to finish sixth in the Olympic 20k race walking event in Rio last Friday.
Afterwards, there were more celebrations when Tom proposed to his partner, Harry Dineley, on the beach [see full story here].
In the race, the 26 year old from Tonbridge Athletic Club bravely led from the front until the halfway mark, but was eventually caught by the chasing pack.
Tom had spent additional time preparing for his race at Team GB’s high altitude camp, and had built momentum with results going into the Games.
Tweeting after the race, he said: “No medal, but I will never forget leading the Olympic Games for over 10k and finishing 6th, especially when ranked 37th.”
He added: “The pace was so easy, I thought people would just come with me. I felt good and was comfortable with the pace I was going, but I knew I had the best in the world behind me.
“I dropped down to ninth at one point, but I thought, ‘forget this, I’ve not led the race for this long to finish outside the top eight’.
“I just went for it, and to break the British record by such a margin, and at the Olympics, is a dream come true.”
Tom also revealed he had suffered from a stomach upset prior to the race, which affected his performance.
Tom’s Manager, Ian Byers, said: “We are all so proud of Tom, we know just how hard he works, and how much he has sacrificed to pursue his Olympic dream.
“To come into the race ranked 37th, lead for over 10k and finish 6th, while smashing his British record at the same time, is an incredible achievement.”
