James Guy has renewed desire to again be the best in the world after showing immense strength of character to fight back from early Olympic disappointment to claim two silver medals in Rio de Janeiro.
After winning gold in the 200m Freestyle and silver over 400m at the World Championships in Kazan, Russia, a year earlier, Guy went into the Games as a firm contender.
Sixth in the 400m Freestyle was followed by an agonising fourth place in the 200m, a day after his close friend Adam Peaty returned to the apartment they shared with his 100m Breaststroke gold medal, offering a tantalising glimpse of what could be.
Guy, though, drew on all his strength and reserves as well as the support of those around him to anchor the 4x200m freestyle relay to silver with a shuddering final leg in a national record.
He then claimed his second silver of the Games, swimming the butterfly leg as Great Britain finished second in the 4x100m medley relay in the final event of the programme.
Guy does not pull his punches about how he felt after his individual races.
“After the first couple of days it just absolutely broke me,” he said. “I don’t want to be in that position again because it’s horrible.
“I was just stunned with what was happening. It has changed my whole mindset on swimming.”
At that point the importance of close friends and team-mates came to the fore, forming a shield around Guy.
“When it comes to poolside, I keep myself to myself, I am very quiet. I don’t talk to a lot of people – it’s headphones on, get in the zone and focus on myself.
“But a few of the lads really supported me – Dan Wallace, Ieuan Lloyd, Robbie Renwick and Adam Peaty were all great, great friends.
“They helped pick me up a lot and it was just nice to have some lads there because they did feel for me and they did have my back.
“They knew what I could have done and they knew what I wanted to do there. They picked me up and that was it, I was ready to go.
“I remember Wallace texting me saying ‘mate you have got to be ready for this (4x200m) relay tomorrow for the boys’ and I thought that’s it, the boys need me now for this and that’s what I’ve got to focus on and the next thing I was back, the old James Guy was there and he’s here now.”
It had the desired effect, Guy propelling himself and the team past Japan with a final leg of 1min 44.85secs – the second fastest in the entire race – as the quartet set a new British mark of 7mins 03.13secs.
The 21-year-old was in the lane adjacent to Michael Phelps in the American’s final race of his career as he swam a butterfly leg of 51.35 as the Medley Relay squad reduced the national record to 3mins 29.24secs.
“Luckily I did bring it round but it was tough – especially seeing Adam win and everything – because I wanted to do that, I wanted to win the 200 free.”
Despite his own individual disappointment, Guy had only happiness for Peaty, with whom he shared an apartment along with Ben Proud, Duncan Scott, Cameron Kurle, Max Litchfield and Robbie Renwick.
“I’ve got five or six really close friends and he is one of them, we’ve just got closer every year. He is a top bloke.
“When he won I was so happy for him because he deserves everything he gets and I thought come on, I want to win this 200 now. For me it wasn’t meant to be but I am so pleased with what he did. “
On his return to Britain, he found an escape in fishing from his post-Olympic rest before jetting off to compete in the World Cup series where he spent time with Rio double silver medallist Chad le Clos and Australian Robert Hurley.
It provided much-needed relief for Guy and he then made the significant step of moving his base from Millfield, where he had trained since 12 along with coach Jol Finck, to Bath National Training Centre.
Now among the likes of fellow Olympic and world medallists Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, Jazz Carlin and Chris Walker-Hebborn, it has given Guy a chance to begin afresh alongside his peers in the swimming world.
“It was a fresh start, it was a new place, it was a new environment,” he said. “You’ve got the sports scientists, you’ve got the physios and it’s all there on tap whenever you want it.
“That was what I needed, it’s that professional environment that you need around you as you develop.”
So too has the fierce desire to succeed returned.
“Now I have that Kazan mindset back again where I want to be the best in the world again, I want to swim fast again and that is what is in my head right now.”
There was victory in the 200m Freestyle at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis and next on the horizon are the British Swimming Championships in Sheffield where he will compete in four events – the 200m and 400m Freestyle and 100m and 200m Butterfly.
The meet doubles as the selection trials for this summer’s World Championships in Budapest and Guy just wants to ensure his place on the Great Britain team before looking towards Hungary.
Recalling a video he watched on YouTube following the U.S. Olympic trials, he said: “If I remember correctly it was Bob Bowman talking to Phelps after he did his 200IM and it wasn’t a great time.
“But he said you got the job done and that’s it, that’s what you have to do, qualify for the Games and that is it.
“I’m thinking well that’s what you have to do in any race, you just have to qualify, get on the team, and then build as the work starts again for the world championships.”