Adam Peaty in ‘good position’ as he builds confidence ahead of Tokyo Olympics

Reigning Olympic champion Adam Peaty says he is in a ‘very good position’ as the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games edges closer.

The 26-year-old was recently pre-selected to the Team GB squad alongside Luke Greenbank, James Wilby and Duncan Scott.

In a recent interview with BBC Breakfast, Peaty revealed that he is putting in as much training as he can to help build his confidence.

With events currently unable to take place, he explained how he has adapted despite preferring his usual approach of using racing as a confidence booster in the build up to the Olympics.

“It’s very exciting,” Peaty said. “I think I’m in a very good position.

“For me, it’s just about building confidence now. We can’t have any competitions and that’s going to be the main struggle.

“I kind of get my confidence from racing fast into the Olympics but the mindset has got to change now, I’ve got to get my confidence from somewhere else which is probably going to be training.

“We’re probably going to have to do some simulations but realistically, no one knows what’s around the corner.

“If this vaccine is rolled out quicker than expected it could enter this zone or if it doesn’t we’re still stuck here, but what matters is that people are healthy and people are hopefully being responsible.”

Training hard

Peaty won Team GB’s first gold medal of the Rio 2016 Olympics, after breaking his own world record in the 100m Breaststroke event.

The prospect of retaining his title of Olympic champion seems to be providing motivation, as the 13-time world record breaker says he is giving ‘110 per cent’ in training.

“I think at least 10 per cent of me is thinking it’s not going to go ahead, but for me that’s useless because if I was focusing on something not happening, then why would I do it?

“I think I’m going to get more out of something even if it’s not going to go ahead and I pretty much go 110 per cent into the wall with my training than just thinking it’s not going to go ahead.

“If anything’s going to make it, it’s the Olympics that are going to make it happen.

“I think they’re best designed to make these kind of things happen and whatever protocols or lockdown or quarantines are going to make us get there, I think the athletes are going to pay whatever price to get there, because we’ve gone so long without a competition.”

Top