In the past year, British swimmer Tom Dean has battled back from COVID-19 not once, but twice.
The 21-year-old won gold in the men’s 200-meter freestyle on Tuesday, setting a British record with a time of 1:44:22.
“It’s a dream come true having a gold around my neck,” Dean told reporters after the race.
Dean said he tested positive the first time last September, but battled a more serious bout of the virus that affected his breathing earlier this year, just a few months ahead of trials.
“You can’t just go straight back into full-on training so it required a few weeks of building back up,” he continued.
The Olympic host city of Tokyo reported its highest-ever daily number of new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, as the Games continue under strict protection protocols.