On Way to Commonwealth Games, Adam Peaty Has Found ‘Hunger That I Was Missing’

adam peaty, 2021 european championships, tokyo olympics

On Way to Commonwealth Games, Adam Peaty Has Found ‘Hunger That I Was Missing’

Hunger and desire have been defining characteristics of Adam Peaty throughout his career, and now the British backstroke legend is further motivated as the Commonwealth Games rapidly approach in Birmingham. With the competition a week away, Peaty is eager to return to competition after being forced to miss last month’s World Championships due to a broken bone in his foot.

Peaty had no choice but to watch the World Champs unfold in Budapest, and see his three successive titles in the 50-meter breaststroke and 100 breaststroke go elsewhere. The gold medal in the 50 breast went to American Nic Fink while Italian Nicolo Martinenghi topped the field in the 100 breaststroke. Peaty couldn’t do a thing about the outcome, and that scenario didn’t sit well. Yet, it also lit an additional fire in the 27-year-old.

“It has been an unfortunate season,” Peaty told PA Media. “I got ill at the start of the year with the flu, then I went straight into training camp and broke my foot. Since then, I’ve adapted. I’ve learned and I’ve overcome, and I couldn’t have put more into my preparations. I haven’t had the smoothest ride. I saw my World Championships titles being taken away without any control over that, and that’s given me a new lease of life, a hunger that I was missing.”

A hungry Peaty is a dangerous athlete. Peaty is the world-record holder in the 50 breaststroke and 100 breaststroke, owning sizable gaps over the opposition. Only Dutchman Arno Kamminga has joined Peaty in the sub-58 club in the 100 breaststroke, and his world record sits at 56.88. Whether Peaty can challenge his record will be answered shortly.

The Englishman was out of the water for six weeks after breaking his foot, as a walking boot was required as part of the healing process. During that time, Peaty adjusted his preparation to compensate for not being in the pool.

“It’s a very long time to have out of the water, but I’ve understood that you don’t need to be in the water,” Peaty said. “Swimming has always been seen as very traditional. You need to put the meters in. But you look at other sports and how they adapt, and how some athletes who have had injuries and have gone away from it have come back stronger and faster. For some reason, I’ve got a real confidence about where I’m going. It may not pay off in the short term at the Commonwealths or the Europeans, but it’s about how I maximize this time toward Paris (2024 Olympic Games), and the confidence I have learned through this cycle of work has been very precious.”

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