Adam Ramsay-Peaty has insisted he has a “battle plan” to win gold in Monday’s 50m breaststroke final at the Commonwealth Games, after his shock defeat in the 100m breaststroke on Saturday. The 31-year-old, who qualified third fastest from the semi-finals in 26.82sec, acknowledged he needs to improve on the 26.61 posted by South Africa’s Michael Houlie, the fastest qualifier.
Ramsay-Peaty, who has not won a global gold since the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, took bronze on Saturday in 59.65, behind Australia’s Sam Williamson (59.3) and the 18-year-old Filip Nowicki from Jersey. Reflecting on his 100m performance, Peaty admitted it was far off his best: “When your world record is three seconds away, we’ve got to seriously ask what’s going wrong.”
The swimmer revealed he has battled burnout, a broken foot, and social media abuse over the past few years. “It’s been hard,” he said. “Some of it has been quite painful, particularly from that foot injury onwards. Coming back to where I am now and making the decision to go for LA, I think this is going to be the hardest climb I’ve ever faced.”
Ramsay-Peaty also criticised media coverage of his personal life, including his estrangement from his mother and his marriage to Holly Ramsay. “You don’t know who I am,” he said. “How many athletes have to go through this until the media learn their lesson?” Despite the setbacks, he remains focused on the 50m final, saying: “We’re on a great trajectory for tomorrow.”
