Adam Peaty has to settle for silver behind surprise winner Nicolo Martinenghi

Adam Peaty was unable to join the great Michael Phelps in the record books after suffering his first individual defeat in an Olympics final in the men’s 100 metres breaststroke.

Peaty was seeking to become just the second male swimmer after Phelps to win the same event at three successive Olympics but Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi claimed a stunning upset victory from lane seven.

His time of 59.03 seconds was two hundredths of a second quicker than Peaty, who touched the wall at the same time as America’s Nic Fink, meaning they will share the silver medal.

Qin Haiyang was thought to be Peaty’s main rival but the Chinese finished a disappointing seventh.

The pair’s battle was likened to Usain Bolt v Justin Gatlin from Rio 2016 given Qin was one of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance prior to the Tokyo Olympics three years ago but was cleared to compete after authorities deemed accidental consumption was to blame.

While Peaty was faster in the semi-finals, Qin hit the front in Sunday’s showpiece and led at halfway but Peaty reeled him in, only to be pipped by Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Martinenghi, who produced the race of his life to deny the Briton a ‘three-peat’.

But after a difficult period in and out of the pool since his Tokyo triumph, an emotional Peaty told the BBC: “It’s been a very long way back.

“I did as well as I could. It’s not about the end goal, it’s all about the process and it doesn’t matter what the time says on the score, in my heart I’ve already won.

“I’m not crying because I’ve come second. I’m crying because it just took so much to get here.

“It was incredibly hard to win it once and to win it again. I’m trying to find new ways to do it.

“Everything that happened to this point I think has happened for a reason and I’m so happy that I can race the best in the world and I came joint-second.”