TEESSIDE Tornado Richard Kilty has won a silver medal in the men's 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Olympics, with Italy claiming gold in an agonising finish. 

Kilty, CJ Ujah, Zharnel Hughes and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake ran 37.51 seconds to be beaten to gold by 0.01 seconds.

Kilty,31, took the lead in the third leg of the race after being handed the baton but the race was lost on the last leg as Mitchell-Blake was beaten at the last second. 

After the race, Kilty said: "After the heat, we knew we had to pull it out, we knew we had to give it our everything. We were prepared to die, that's what we said we'd do before, we were prepared to do anything. 

"We're Olympic silver medallists, what more can we ask for? I'd just like to say on behalf of us, everyone behind the team, the staff, our friends, our family, the National Lottery for supporting. You helped provide us the platform to comes and do this. 

"We're Olympic silver medallists and last Olympics round, we finished fifth and we knew we were coming out here no less than a medal.

"We want to win it, we were unlucky but this is unity. This is a team and we're in this together and we absolutely pulled it out as a quartet and everyone behind the scenes to win an Olympic silver medal.

"In 20 years time when we're old and retired, we'll look back at this night as one of the best in our lives."

Kilty said before the games that the 4x100m relay was one of Team GB's best chances of obtaining a gold medal in the games. He was seen consoling Mitchell-Bake after the race. 

It was a tough finish for Kilty and the rest of the relay team but it represents a huge achievement in their career as the Stockton sprinter gains his first Olympic medal.