Commonwealth Games 2022 LIVE: Laura Muir storms to 1500m gold after England win women’s hockey title

Adam Peaty was the invincible man – no more, writes Paul Eddison.

In eight years, the triple Olympic champion had never lost a senior race over 100m breaststroke, but a broken foot and James Wilby combined to break that unbeaten record.

It was in the Commonwealth Games that Peaty announced himself to the world back in 2014, winning his favoured event to start a run that has taken him beyond the reach of mere mortals.

But even Peaty is human and Birmingham 2022 proved the moment where that mortality struck. Fastest over the first 50 metres, it then became clear that the unthinkable would happen as England and Loughborough teammate Wilby chased him down and overhauled him to claim a memorable gold medal – Peaty faded so much that he ended up out of the medals altogether, swimming a time of 59.86, nearly three full seconds of his world record, to come fourth.

Here’s what the BBC pundits had to say in the immediate aftermath of Adam Peaty’s shock 100m breaststroke defeat.

Rebecca Adlington: “Adam’s injury was only a matter of weeks ago so you have to give him credit for even coming to these championships.

“He could have sat at home, said he had not done enough training, but he didn’t. I think he will still do well in the 50m breaststroke.

“James [Wilby - gold medallist] has kind of lived in Adam’s shadow but he has taken this opportunity. He has seen there was a big of weakness there and we know he is so strong down that last 25m.

“I think Adam will still swim a fantastic 50m here. Adam is such a team player, there was no kicking off there. There was no spitting the dummy out, he went straight over to James and gave him the biggest hug.”

Mark Foster: “That is massive. We knew from the heats it didn’t look good. Semis were enough. You see him from the off, he normally goes but there was no go.”

Adam Peaty, who finished fourth in the men’s 100m breaststroke final: “When it comes down to the race sometimes it doesn’t go to plan. I was hurting from the 50m but you know that’s a lack of training, lack of racing… it is what it is. I can’t overthink it. I’m a fighter and sometimes you have got to have these moments to keep fighting.

“Always learning. This is a huge moment for me really because I’m at a part in my career where you choose to go on or keep at it or whatever… I know this is probably my last Commonwealth Games so it’s great. Wilby had a great race. I was a lot slower than yesterday, it was just a bad race.”

Paris still the plan? “Yeah of course. The next two years are going to be huge - how we attack that now, I don’t know. Because I haven’t done two winter blocks in a long time so it’s back to the drawing board and back to training.”

So as it turns out, Adam Peaty IS human after all. Who knew...

Gracious in defeat as well, he went straight over to compatriot James Wilby and gave him a big hug. It was Australian duo Zac Stubblety-Cook and Sam Williamson who took silver and bronze respectively in the end.

Just a stunning result. To reiterate, Peaty had won every single race he entered since 2015 - in fact, since 2014 in senior races. Just remarkable, injury or not.

HE’S BEEN BEATEN! You read that right, Adam Peaty has lost a race...

He was leading at 50 metres but faded badly and ends up fourth! Fellow Englishman James Wilby takes GOLD, the most shocking of golds, and Peaty ends up fourth.

He was unbeaten since 2015, and since 2014 in senior races, but has now lost...

We’re only a few minutes away from the G.O.A.T doing his thing in the pool. Unbeatable Adam Peaty goes for gold in the 100m breaststroke.

He had a broken foot just a few weeks ago but he’s proven his fitness and is ready to add another Commonwealth gold to his tally. We’re around five minutes away from that race

Olympic silver medallist Jack Carlin revealed he had fallen out of love with cycling since Tokyo last summer as a Commonwealth bronze brought tears on Sunday.

Carlin took third place in the individual sprint after Australian rival Matthew Glaetzer was relegated for an illegal deviation in the deciding leg of their battle.

Though Carlin had already won keirin silver on Saturday, this time there was an emotional reaction as he admitted he had struggled to re-engage with the sport after the Olympics.

“It’s not been an easy few months, especially after coming back from the Games,” Carlin said. “I’ve not really let anyone in on this but I’ve really been struggling with the sport and finding my love for it. I fell out of love with the sport and almost became a robot ticking a box in training.

Sophie Unwin and Georgia Holt were back on the velodrome podium at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday and this time the medals were theirs.

Two days after the controversy of not being awarded bronze for finishing third in the women’s tandem B sprint, they came back and won silver in the time trial to the delight of the London crowd.

Unwin had been left in tears on Friday when it was ruled they would not be given bronze because only four teams started the sprint - with one of the five who had registered unable to race due to injury.

Although their final had been billed as a bronze medal race and they appeared on official results as medallists, Unwin and her pilot Holt were denied medals, and were fined after trying to stand behind the podium ceremony holding an England flag.

But that all provided a little extra motivation on Sunday as they beat Scotland’s Aileen McGlynn, piloted by Ellie Stone, to silver with Jessica Gallagher and Caitlin Ward taking gold for Australia.

“It’s really special,” Unwin said. “I think we both came into today thinking, ‘New day, new race’ but we also wanted to get on the podium and we did exactly what we wanted to do. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions but we’ve just been resetting. It’s a new day and we go again.”

Holt added: “She’s tenacious. We woke up on Saturday new women.”

Under competition rules, only gold and silver medals are awarded if fewer than five teams take part in an event. But as there had been five teams on the original start-list for the sprint, there was a breakdown in communications over bronze.

Unwin and Holt were clear they thought they were racing for a medal, as did all those watching in the velodrome.

“Had we known we weren’t racing for bronze we maybe would have saved the legs for today,” Holt said.

Officials were confused too - the pair had their post-race interviews cut short when they were told to prepare for the podium, but then re-emerged with Unwin in tears.

After being ushered away from the podium ceremony, they borrowed medals from the England women’s team pursuit squad and had their own unofficial photoshoot on the podium.

“It was a simple case of miscommunication and we’ve apologised to the organisers,” Unwin said. “We didn’t want to cause any upset or show disrespect to the Games or any riders, that wasn’t our intention.

“We were emotional in the moment and we just want to thank everyone in the velodrome, everyone that messaged us and Team England. They’ve given us a huge amount of support and that’s what we’ll take away.

“The moment we had with the crowd will stay with us for the rest of our lives.”

England’s Matt Walls was involved in a terrifying accident at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday morning when he was catapulted over the barriers and into the crowds at the Lee Valley VeloPark.

The 24-year-old Olympic omnium champion received treatment for more than 40 minutes before being taken away by ambulance, with spectators also hurt after he and his bike had come over the top of the barriers on the high banking of the corner.

Team England said in an update: “Matt is alert and talking - as he has been throughout - and is being given medical attention in hospital.”

Two other riders - the Isle of Man’s Matt Bostock and Canada’s Derek Gee - were also taken to hospital, while two spectators were treated for minor injuries at the velodrome.

Witnesses said that, because of the gradient of the banking, spectators in the front row had been unsighted for the crash. One man received treatment for cuts to his arm while a young girl also received minor attention.

Walls had been trying to avoid riders who had fallen in an incident that began on the entrance to the corner. The stricken pair of New Zealander George Jackson and Australia’s Josh Duffy were sliding up the banking, forcing Walls up on to the barrier and then over it.

Gee also surfed the top of the barrier but managed to avoid following Walls into the stands, albeit then falling heavily once back on the banking.

In a statement, a Birmingham 2022 spokesperson said: “Following a crash at the morning session of track and para track cycling at the Lee Valley VeloPark, three cyclists and two spectators have been treated by the onsite medical team.

“The three cyclists have been taken to hospital. The two spectators did not require hospital treatment...

“We would like to send our best wishes to the cyclists and spectators involved in this incident and to thank the medical team for their swift action.”

Canadian Mathias Guillemette was disqualified from the race for causing the initial crash.

The remainder of the morning session at the velodrome was cancelled and spectators were asked to leave as medical staff attended to Walls.

From injury hell to Olympic knockbacks, Lewis Richardson insisted he embraces every step of the journey as the Colchester boxer moved to within one win of a Commonwealth Games medal.

Lesser individuals may have contemplated quitting as, after getting into the Team GB set-up, Richardson was diagnosed with three stress fractures in his lower back which sidelined him for most of 2018.

He rebounded to win an Olympic test event the next year and although defeat to world champion Oleksandr Khyzhniak ended his hopes of competing at Tokyo 2020, Richardson claimed his first major medal at the European Championship at the back end of May by collecting silver in the middleweight category.

Richardson’s progress to the quarter-finals in the 75kg category in Birmingham has been far from smooth. The England boxer overcame a standing eight-count against Wales’ Haaris Khan to record a unanimous points win while he was pushed to his limit before earning a split decision verdict over Uganda’s Yusuf Nkobeza.

Another win over Guernsey’s Billy Le Poullain on Wednesday will guarantee Richardson at least a bronze and the 25-year-old can look forward to another rousing reception at the NEC Area, where the decibel level steadily rose as a nip-and-tuck bout against Nkobeza progressed.

“It was brilliant atmosphere, probably the best I’ve ever boxed in,” he said. “These moments are what you train hard for and what you bounce back from those situations for.

“The highs wouldn’t be as high without the lows. If it was all just about the highs you wouldn’t appreciate these moments as much.

“I’ve got a strong mentality, I’m focused and driven and I was able to show that here. I’ve shown that on countless occasions in fights and outside the ring also.”

Four of the five judges awarded Nkobeza the first round but Richardson’s slicker, cleaner work turned the tide and he was given the nod by scores of 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 30-26 and 28-29.

“A few years ago, opponents like that maybe would have walked through me,” he said. “But I’m mentally and physically stronger now and I’m a much better all-round fighter.

“It was tough, he was very, very strong but I was able to get the win and I’m really happy about that.”

Richardson pointed out he is the only fighter remaining in the draw who had to box in a preliminary round but he believes that will not count against him as he hunts at least a podium position next week.

“I’m going to get it,” he added. “I’ll be more than ready come Wednesday to do the business.

“The other 15 boxers got a bye but I’m fit, I’m strong and I’ve prepared myself in the best way possible. That will show - it showed here and it will show in the next fight and the next fight.”