Adam Peaty given ‘new lease of life’ by missed world title defence

Adam Peaty has revealed that the pain of watching his world swimming titles being wrenched from his grasp in Budapest last month has reasserted his desire to create new and unattainable benchmarks in his sport.

The 27-year-old was denied the chance to claim his fourth consecutive world double of 50m and 100m breaststroke titles after fracturing a bone in his foot during a freak training accident in May.

His injury initially cast doubt over Peaty’s hopes of competing at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, but the double world record holder now believes the injury – the first significant one he has suffered in his glittering career – may have been a blessing in disguise.

Confirming his intention to compete in four events in Birmingham – the two individual events plus two relays – Peaty said: “It has been an unfortunate season.

“I got ill at the start of the year with 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 Championship 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.”

The six weeks he spent out of the pool and in a protective boot represented the longest time he has been forced to spend away from the water since he started his senior career.

But it has opened Peaty’s mind to new methods and opportunities which he believes will stand him in good stead as he focuses on the Paris Olympics and – just as importantly – the chance to lower his existing world records even further.

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Eddie Jones