LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s triple Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty says he has nothing to prove at June’s swimming world championships in Hungary and his focus is all on the Paris 2024 Games.
The eight-times world champion and world record holder, who defended his 100m Olympic breaststroke crown in Tokyo last year, took the British title in Sheffield on Tuesday for the sixth time in a row.
Peaty’s time of 58.58 seconds was the second fastest in the world this year, behind Dutch rival Arno Kamminga’s 58.52, but not even among his top 30 personal bests in the event.
The 27-year-old Briton was swimming in his first major final since he returned from taking five months off after the Tokyo Games.
“That’s a real confidence boost for me because this year, it’s more of a comeback than a continuation of what I’m doing,” he said.
The world championships are scheduled for Budapest in June. Peaty won three golds and a bronze in Gwangju, South Korea in 2019.
“I know I can get down to something there (in Budapest) if I apply myself right, but I’ve got nothing to prove now…this is bonus territory now. I’ve won everything there is to be won, as humbly as I can say that,” said Peaty.
“Obviously, you’re going to get a bit of illness, a bit of injury. But I’m happy with where I’m at. I’m happy with my lifestyle, I’m happy with my training. This year, I’ve got nothing to prove, it’s all about Paris.”
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)
