Clare Balding praises Adam Peaty for being proud of silver medal at Olympics as she criticises England's Euro 2024 stars for their actions after final defeat to Spain

Clare Balding praised Team GB's Adam Peaty for keeping his silver medal on after missing out on gold at the Olympics and criticised England's Euro 2024 finalists for their contrasting actionss.

Peaty finished in second place in the 100 metre breaststroke, with Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi taking gold.

Agonisingly, Peaty missed out on gold by just 0.02 seconds and had to settle for silver along with Nic Fink of the USA.

After their defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final earlier this month, then-manager Gareth Southgate and several of his players, including Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Kyle Walker were seen taking off their runners-up medals almost immediately after receiving them.

Balding was criticial of the England players and took the opportunity to praise Peaty and Fink. 

Speaking on BBC Sport, Balding said: 'I love this because, honestly, after the final of the Euros when they all take their medals off. I just thought 'You got to the final and performed really well, don't say this means nothing'. 

'And I love the fact that Adam and Nick Fink there are clearly incredibly proud of those silver medals and will hold them up and say 'Yes, I won this'.

Former world champion swimmer Mark Foster agreed with Balding's viewpoint and said: '100 per cent. Why do you take your medal off? Do you think you're a loser all of a sudden because you came second in a tournament? No, you're second in the world or second in Europe. You should be proud of it. Yes, absolutely.

'Probably an emotional knee-jerk reaction. One does it and they all go 'Eurgh yeah, we don't like that'.

Peaty was emotional after finishing second but explained that he was crying 'happy tears'.

He said: 'I am not crying because I have come second. I am crying because of how much it took to get here.

'In my heart I have won. These are happy tears.'