Olympic champion Alex Yee insists his Cole Palmer-inspired celebration was not meant to disrespect his arch rival. 

Having surged past Kiwi Hayden Wilde in the final metres to win gold at the Olympics, the triathlete repeated the trick at supertri Boston a few days later. 

Yee drew the ire of many, not least Wilde, by crossing his arms in a 'cold' celebration popularised by Palmer and Kylian Mbappe as he crossed the line to win the race. 

“It was just excitement,” Yee said, speaking at the School Games National Finals, a biennial four-day multisport event for young athletes of school age. 

“For me, triathlon is my way of expression and the fact we were able to show some personality, we don't get that very often within our sport. 

“We get two minutes after a race to kind of show who we are and a little bit of social media but apart from that our expression comes from the race course. 

“I think I was just excited - to be out of the race with probably a mile to go and then to be able to come back and win was just excitement.

“The first thing I did when I realised that he wasn't appreciative of what I did was make sure that he was fine. And to be honest, he said to me that it wasn't about the celebration, it was more about the outcome.

“That gave me peace of mind that we are able to express ourselves and celebrate because hundreds of other sports are doing that and are celebrated for it.”

The two front-runners in world triathlon at the minute, Wilde and Yee are forming quite the rivalry at the pinnacle of the sport.

Leading triathlon into a new generation as the likes of the Brownlee brothers begin to fade away, Yee is proud to be amongst the ones to beat in an increasingly competitive field.

“I'd like to think that it is the most competitive that triathlon has ever been at and I think it's amazing that Hayden and I can lead the way with that,” he added.  

“There's 55 amazing other guys who are working amazingly hard to get there, but it's really cool to be leading the way with Hayden.”

Leaving Paris not only with individual triathlon gold but also mixed relay bronze, Yee is now the most decorated Olympic triathlete of all time having won relay gold and individual silver at Tokyo 2020.

Now a household name in his homeland, Yee is in no rush to fully come to terms with the scale of his triumph.

In fact, he is leaning on the support of fellow Closing Ceremony Flagbearer Bryony Page - Team GB’s first ever Olympic trampolining champion - in coming to terms with fresh levels of stardom.

“It hasn't sunk in yet, to be fair,” said Yee, speaking at this year’s School Games National Finals which are the 16th since the inaugural event in Glasgow in 2006 and take place as part of an amazing summer of sport including the EUROs and the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “I had a conversation with Bryony Page, who was another flag bearer and won her medal at the same time as me, and she told me her coach said that you've got all your life let it sink in. 

“I'm trying to not rush to let it sink in and just try and enjoy the moment, taking each day by day and just enjoy the process.

“It’s been really special, it’s nice to feel love, we’re still a small sport so for so many people to be excited and telling me how excited they were about the finish, on the edge of their seats that it almost gave them heart attacks, it’s really cool and really special.”

The School Games National Finals is a biennial four-day multisport event for young athletes of school age and is funded by Sport England National Lottery Funding and backed by all the Home Country Sports Councils and UK Sport.