TEAM GB swimmer Adam Peaty has questioned China’s victory in the men’s 4x100m medley relay.
Great Britain just missed out on the podium after finishing fourth at Paris La Defense Arena.
China won gold, with the United States taking silver and host nation France securing bronze.
The victory came almost four years after 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in the build-up to the Tokyo Games.
Despite testing positive, they were allowed to compete in 2021 after the Chinese anti-doping agency claimed the substance was unknowingly consumed via contaminated food.
Relay gold medallists Qin Haiyang and Sun Jiajun were allegedly among those swimmers.
And Peaty has questioned the legitimacy of China’s win as a result.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist said: “One of my favourite quotes I’ve seen lately is that there’s no point winning if you’re not winning fair. I think you know that truth in your heart.
“If you touch and you know that you’re cheating, you’re not winning. For me, if you’ve been on that and you have been ‘contaminated’ twice, I think as an honourable person you should be out of the sport.
“I don’t want to paint a whole nation or group of people with one brush, I think that’s very unfair. But there have been two cases of it and it’s very disappointing.
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“But I think to the people that need to do their job – wake up and do your job. I think we have to have faith in the system. But we also don’t. I think it’s got to be stricter.”
Peaty raced with Oliver Morgan, Duncan Scott and Matt Richards in the men’s 4x100m medley relay final.
The 29-year-old hinted at retirement following the event. He said: “Tomorrow is never promised and if my heart wants it my heart wants it and I will sign that contract with myself to do it.
“That could be a long way away, but I think I’ve got to step away from the sport because it hurt too much this time.
“I’m going to take some time off everything and I don’t really know what the answer is.
“I’m taking time, if my family needs me they need me. I don’t know you can’t lie to your heart but if it wants it, it wants it.”
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY
TODAY’S BRIT MEDAL HOPES
Keely Hodgkinson is among the favourites to win gold in the women’s 800m final (8.45pm), three years on from silver in Tokyo.
Kimberley Woods, Mallory Franklin and Joe Clarke could secure a triple-header in the maiden Olympic kayak cross finals (3.55pm).
GB will hope to retain their triathlon mixed relay (7am) and the women’s cycling team sprint (6.55pm) offers a real medal chance on the opening day in the velodrome.
BRITS TO WATCH
The sport climbing gets underway with four Brits – Hamish McArthur and 19-year-old sensation Toby Roberts starting with their bouldering in the boulder and lead event (9am).
And the women’s hockey team face a nightmare quarter-final against the all-conquering Dutch (4.30pm).
GLOBAL STARS TODAY
Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis will try and break his own latest world record once again in the men’s paul vault final (6pm).
The men’s football reaches the semi-finals with hosts France facing Egypt (8pm) after Spain vs Morocco (5pm).
And this will be the last we see of Simone Biles in Paris. She is set to go in the women’s balance beam (11.30am) and floor finals (1.20pm).
FANCY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
It is the final day for both the 3×3 basketball and the surfing.
The 3×3 basketball finishes with the gold medal matches from 9pm at La Concorde.
Over in Tahiti, Gabriel Medina appeared to defy gravity with THAT incredible levitating photo and has a shot at gold today.
STATS MAD
0 – A rule change to the artistic swimming (formerly synchronised swimming) means men are now able to compete in the team event for the first time in Olympics history… but the new legislation only came in 18 months and precisely ZERO males were selected.
Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE blog.
