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Tom Dean signed with Covid-19 twice during the preparations for the Tokyo Olympics, and he also won the men’s 200 million freestyle gold medal in Tuesday’s double match.
The 21-year-old Englishman was quarantined for a few days earlier this year and was unable to exercise. In his country’s first men’s duo match since 1908, he led teammate Duncan Scott by 0.04 points.
This is the second men’s gold medal that Britain has won within a few days after Adam Peaty retained his 100 million breaststroke title on Monday.
“This is great. With gold hanging around my neck is a dream come true,” Dean said. “In the past 12 months, I have been infected with the new crown virus twice. Sitting in isolation in my apartment, the Olympic gold medal is one million miles away from me.”
The British first contracted the virus in September last year, and then contracted a more serious virus early this year.
“The second time was much worse than the first time,” he told reporters. “I was ill for about 10 days and I completed the entire isolation period. Due to the nature of the exercise and illness we were engaged in, the recovery rate was very slow.
“You can’t go back to full training directly, so it will take a few weeks… Two or three months after our Olympic trials ended, I was trapped inside and even unable to exercise.
“In the Olympic year, I have a hard time understanding this.
“I think I am one of the first athletes in the British Olympic sports to sign with the new crown virus twice in such a short period of time… I am thinking how can I recover in time?”
Dean ranked fourth in the semifinals, Scott led, but found extra equipment in the finals.
South Korean Hwang Sun-woo started at a world-record speed, but Dean performed strongly on the 6th lane, rising from third to first in the 50 finals.
Scott was almost behind his fingertips, and the two ended the game with the fastest result in British swimming history. The silver medalist of the duo relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics well concealed his disappointment.
“This is a big credit for Tom Dean, it’s incredible. The Olympic champion. He has made such a big improvement in the past 18 months and it’s great to see,” he said.
“It’s great to be able to say that he is a good partner outside the pool. It’s great to be able to compete with him.”
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