Peaty says Games loss is the spark to carry him to Paris Olympics

BIRMINGHAM, England: A loss in his signature 100m breaststroke race at the Commonwealth Games will haunt Adam Peaty for years but the Englishman said it has also provided the spark he needs to defend his Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games.

Unbeaten in the event in eight years, Peaty's fourth place in Sunday's (Aug 7) final left him and the swim world shocked despite the fact the 27-year-old was returning to competition from a broken foot and only had the cast removed a month ago.

But the triple Olympic champion refused to use injury as an excuse for the disappointing result saying a "defeat is a defeat".

"It doesn't matter if it's a broken hand or a broken foot I still turned up," said Peaty, unbeaten in the 100m breast since the 2014 British championships. "Should I have? I don't know.

"I do believe everything happens for a reason and I do believe that this reason is that I needed that extra drive into these next two years.

"That's what the strategy is now, using that hunger of that loss in the 100 to drive me into new territory.

"The spark has been reignited."

Warning his rivals he was feeling like a cornered lion, Peaty did not waste any time atoning for loss, hitting back with a win in the 50m breaststroke letting out a mighty roar after touching the wall first just .21 seconds ahead of Australia's Sam Williamson.

But even a gold was not enough to ease the sting of his earlier loss, days later Peaty insisting he found the taste of defeat still hard to swallow.

Meeting with a small group of media, the swimmer was in a relaxed but reflective mood explaining that every elite athlete, at some point, struggles to find motivation.

Now he has found it.

"I get angry thinking about it (the loss)," said Peaty. "I'll think of that