Team GB star and BBC commentator convinced he was wrongly denied gold medal at Olympics

Team GB swimmer Matt Richards and a BBC commentator were convinced he was wrongly denied gold after a thrilling finish in the men’s 200m freestyle final at the Paris Olympics.

Richards was out in lane one after an underwhelming performance in qualifying but found himself at the front of the pack throughout and appeared narrowly in front of his rivals at the crucial moment.

When the 21-year-old came back above water and looked to the screen he discovered he was adjudged to have finished 0.02 seconds behind Romania’s David Popovici.

Taking home silver – his first Olympic individual medal – was a superb result but Richards felt he may have done enough to win gold.

When a replay of the incredibly close finish was shown, even the BBC commentator questioned the decision, saying it ‘looked like’ Richards touched the wall first.

Asked for his take on the finish, Richards told BBC Sport: ‘I thought I had got it, it felt as if I had touched it first. The time says differently.

‘It is not a sport that is up for debate, it is black and white. It wasn’t my best finish, I would be lying if I said it was fantastic. We move on, we get better and try to get it next time.’

Two BBC pundits suspected gold medallist Popovici thought he had lost the race.

Adrian Moorhouse, the 1988 Olympic 100m breaststroke champion, said: ‘That was such a tight race.

‘I think David Popovici thought he had lost it there, when he went through the turn he just had to dig deep.

‘Matt Richards had an excellent race, did everything he could have done, lost out at the very last.’

Olympic bronze medal swimmer Steve Parry added: ‘That was absolutely incredible, for all his life Matt Richards looked like he was slowing down in the last 15m but he just found something.

‘Popovici has a bemused look on his face – he doesn’t know what happened in that race, it was just bonkers.’

Team GB legend Mark Foster, meanwhile, believes Popovici hit the wall with his fingertips while Richards made contact with the palm of his hand, costing him valuable milliseconds.

‘I can’t see the fine detail but Popovici has probably hit the wall with his fingers and Matt’s lifted his hand up and pressed the wall with his hand rather than his fingers,’ he said.

‘It’s not a mistake but you have to make those small decisions at the end of a race.’

BBC presenter Clare Balding added: ‘Popovici came in and, bang, he’s hit the wall. Richards is just reaching for it slightly, he’s gliding in.’ 

Despite the agonising finish, Richards insisted he ‘can’t be too disappointed’ after clinching his first Olympic individual medal and second overall following gold in the 4x200m relay at Tokyo 2020.

‘I can’t be too disappointed with that,’ he said. ‘My first individual at an Olympic games so to come away with a silver is great.

‘To be two one hundredths off gold is excruciatingly frustrating. But look, if anything it has added more fire to my belly.

‘I’ve got a lot more to come this week, the 100m is tomorrow, the 4x100m is tomorrow too. It fuels me on for the rest of the week.

‘Gutted for Duncan [Scott], myself and him in second and fourth, just missing out on the medal he deserves it more than anyone – that bodes really well for our 4x200m.’

Richards, who was born in Worcester, has another shot at gold when he features in the men’s 100m freestyle.