Three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty has set his sights on a fourth Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, despite considering quitting the sport after winning silver in Paris last year. The 31-year-old returns to competition at the British Championships in London today, beginning what he calls 'the hardest two years' of his career.
Peaty, who won gold in the 100m breaststroke in 2016 and 2021, was beaten to a third successive title in Paris by Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi after contracting coronavirus days before the final. He admitted: 'With the cards I was dealt I swam out of my skin. I shouldn't have got a silver medal.' The swimmer also opened up about his mental health struggles before Paris, describing a 'self-destructive spiral'.
The decision to continue was influenced by the addition of the 50m breaststroke to the Olympic programme for 2028, giving Peaty a chance to add that title to his collection. He said: 'The Olympics is the one that excites me... the one I dream of. We have to set that path now.'
Peaty, who married model Holly Ramsay, daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay, in December, joked about his father-in-law's wedding speech: 'It was always going to be hard to beat Gordon's speech... he was able to bring the room together.' He added that married life gives him 'an incredible amount of peace' and that having his wife, son and friends around makes his path 'a lot easier'.
Peaty acknowledged the challenge ahead, comparing the Olympics to 'tasting an amazing steak and then having to go back to a McDonald's burger'. He remains confident that the mental health issues that plagued him before Paris will not return, saying: 'With sport giving me what it has given, the price is the price.'
