Olympic legend Adam Ramsay-Peaty admitted 'nothing makes sense' after he had to settle for bronze in the 50m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games, as his career stood at a crossroads.
The 31-year-old was beaten by Australia's Sam Williamson, who took his second gold after also winning the 100m breaststroke on Saturday. Ramsay-Peaty also finished third in the 100m, an event in which he had remained unbeaten for eight years from 2014 to 2022.
Mum's support after emotional setback
His estranged mother, Caroline, posted a statement saying: 'He's our son whom we love, whom we supported to reach his aspirations. Our strength as a family has helped us move past the nastiness, the lies that have been told about us.'
Ramsay-Peaty had broken down in tears earlier at the Games but was less emotional after his latest setback. He said: 'I thought that I could have done better there. I just felt like I could have been a little bit quicker. I am quite disappointed with the time and as we know, time equals medals. I need to look at that to see where I am going wrong because nothing makes sense at the moment to be honest.'
Future in doubt ahead of 2028 Olympics
Ramsay-Peaty announced his comeback for the 2028 Olympics after a break following the Paris Games last year. He had called the 50m his 'super strength'. He won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a time of 58.84 seconds, then set the Games record four years later at 58.59 seconds.
Now he faces a decision on his future with another two years of training before the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, when he will be 33 years old.
Archie Goodburn's emotional race
For Scotland's Archie Goodburn, 25, the 50m breaststroke race against Ramsay-Peaty was a highly emotional event. He was diagnosed three years ago with Oligodendrogliomas, a rare, inoperable form of brain cancer that accounts for roughly three per cent of all primary brain tumours.
Last year, he gained access to Vorasidenib – a breakthrough new treatment he helped campaign for – which delayed the need for chemotherapy, enabling him to compete in Glasgow.
Holding back tears, Goodburn said: 'I’m disappointed with that final. But I’m feeling extremely privileged and very fortunate and very blessed to have even had the chance to take part against such a competitive field. It’s really difficult to execute well under pressure. I’m going to look back on this as a pretty incredible moment in my life. The reception was monumental. That was the next level. I wonder how I will feel on the back of all this. But I know that I have memories to last a lifetime.'
