David Popovici pipped Matt Richards by 0.02sec in the 200m freestyle to claim Romania's first-ever Olympic gold for a man in the pool and the nation's first gold in swimming since Diana Mocanu lifted two on backstroke at Sydney 2000.

Popovici, coached by Adrian Radulescu, was almost two seconds down on his best but then so are many others so far in the shallows of Paris.

The race cared little for the clock, of course: it was a bruising battle, regardless, the Romanian on 1:44.72, the Brit who beat him for the world crown last year 0.02sec away and the first of four efforts within 0.15sec of each other in a blanket finish.

It ended with Britain’s second hope, Duncan Scott locked out in fourth, 0.08sec shy of bronze, which went to Luke Hobson of the USA.

Tom Dean, Britain’s champion in Tokyo, who finished 0.04sec ahead of Scott three years ago, was up there cheering in the stands, perhaps gritting his teeth a little: his winning time from 2021 would have taken the title today, though the conditions are not the same, not least of all because of a pool almost a metre shallower that the 3m depth that had become standards at the past three Olympics.

Richards, the world champion last year, was in lane one and played the outside-smoker card well. From the get go, he had the field in his sights, stayed out of trouble and the big waves being built in the middle of the pool as Popovici, Hobson to one side, Scott to the other, locked horns.

Popovici, now 19, was just 16 when he finished fourth in the Tokyo final. In Paris today, he said: "I feel amazing. It is so great to be here. So many Romanians in the crowd. It’s beautiful, it’s a dream come true. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s so simple, yet so beautiful.”

Richards echoed Peaty's take after the 100m breaststroke when the freestyle said: "I thought I had it. It felt like I did. Bit its not a sport of subjection, its black and white, down to numbers, and the scoreboard doesn't lie.

He'd won the World title by 0.02sec last year so "it goes both ways," he said.