ADAM PEATY has revealed he even impressed the great Michael Phelps with the relay leg which inspired his team to silver.
Great Britain’s golden boy swam an incredible 56.59 seconds in the breaststroke split of the 4×100 metres medley relay.
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That was even quicker than the world record time of 57.13secs he set when he won the individual 100m breaststroke a week ago.
It helped Team GB come in behind the United States to claim their post-war record best sixth medal in the pool.
And Peaty was then collared by Phelps, who won his 23rd gold medal in his last ever Olympic race.
The Staffordshire swimmer, 21, admitted: “At the end, he was like swearing and saying, ’56.5 is mad’.
“He was pretty impressed, which is an honour.
“Looking at the TV as a kid you never think you’d impress Michael Phelps with all those golds round his neck.
“I was watching him in Athens, Beijing and London. It’s crazy to see what he has done.
“It is crazy to race with him and against him.
“It’s a shame he doesn’t really do breaststroke, but that’s the way it is!”
Peaty dived in for his leg with his team trailing sixth after Chris Walker-Hebborn’s backstroke.
But he made up so much ground on American Cody Miller that he handed over to James Guy’s butterfly in first.
Guy produced a strong swim despite being overtaken by Phelps, before Duncan Scott hung on to secure silver.
The United States won in an Olympic record time of three minutes 27.95 seconds, with Team GB clocking 3.29.24 and Australia taking bronze with 3.29.93.
On his pal Peaty’s swim, Guy, 20, quipped: “He’s just a freak. What’s he doing?
“He’s almost faster than me on my f****** fly. Do one!”
Great Britain’s performance was particularly special for Walker-Hebborn, who dedicated his medal to his ill father Andy.
He said: “It’s pretty emotional for me. My parents were supposed to be here, but just before we got out here my dad was diagnosed with cancer.
“They were unable to come and watch me swim.
“So this one is for my dad and it’s pretty special.”
Great Britain’s haul of six medals is their best in an Olympic pool since 1912.
They have succeeded their UK Sport target of three to five gongs.
And this display comes after they were the only sport not to hit their objective in their home Games in London, when they took just three medals.
Peaty added: “It’s absolutely incredible to see where we have come in these four years.
“A lot of people were slating British swimming four years ago and in the 2013 worlds.
“But with this young talent coming through now, we are showing we are hungry and we are ready and that we can take on the world – we are not scared of anything.
“That’s the mentality that is now in British swimming and hopefully that will continue to prosper.”
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