Peaty, hoping to become only the second male swimmer after retired US great Michael Phelps to perform the triple, had to settle for silver alongside reigning world champion Nic Fink of the US.

Both touched out in 59.05 seconds, just 0.02 of a second slower than Martinenghi’s relatively sedate time.

The Italian told RAI television he had closed his eyes and hoped for the best.

“I showed that the time doesn’t matter, it matters how you are, seizing the moment,” he said.

Peaty had swam 58.86 seconds on Saturday, some way off the 57.94 seconds he produced at the British championships in April. He holds the world record of 56.88 seconds set in Gwangju, South Korea, in 2019 plus the Olympic record of 57.13 seconds from Rio 2016.

“I gave it my absolute all,” Peaty told the BBC. “I executed it as well as I could. It’s not about the end goal, it’s about the process.

Peaty started in lane four after powering into the final with the fastest time on Saturday, but he was second at the turn and it came down to a matter of milliseconds and a stroke or a glide at the finish.

“It doesn’t matter what time it says on the scoreboard. I think in my heart I have already won. I’m so happy that I can race against the best in the world and still come joint-second,” he said.