Staffordshire's Adam Peaty not happy despite Commonwealth Games gold
On the night Adam Peaty made it four years unbeaten over 100m breaststroke the world’s most dominant swimmer also showed he is human and is struggling with motivation.
Peaty was a way off his best on his way to victory in the 100m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, retaining the title he claimed in Glasgow four years ago.
His time of 58.84 was enough to beat compatriot James Wilby by 0.59 but having turned just outside world record pace, he cramped up in the final metres – a sight we are unaccustomed to seeing from the Olympic champion – and was more than a second and a half off his best.
And Peaty revealed the enjoyment he felt in the lead-up to Rio has been harder to come by in the two years since.
Peaty, who will return for the 50m breaststroke heats on Sunday, said: “Even though it's a gold medal and it's four years undefeated and that's completed the circle, I'm not happy with that performance.
“It's not the best version of me. I want to go out there on the 50 and try to get that better version.
“That's the first time ever where I've felt not in control of my race.
“I was cramping up with 15 to go and that never happens. The more worrying thing for me is how can I keep the sport new, how can I keep my motivation high? That’s going to be the next challenge now to keep pushing.
“This last season I stopped enjoying it as much as I did pre two years ago. So going into the 50, I’m just going to try and find that enjoyment and be grateful for where I am.”
Meanwhile with two medals from her first two events on the Gold Coast, gymnast Alice Kinsella is entitled to be very pleased with how her maiden Commonwealth Games is panning out.
But it is a mark of just how far both she and English gymnastics in general have come that the 17-year-old could not hide a bit of disappointment on Saturday night after claiming bronze in the all-around final.
“I have never felt so nervous in all my life because it was quite tight. But I just went out there to do the exact same floor routine that I do in training and see what came out of it,” she said.
“I could have done a lot better, the beam wasn’t quite what I wanted with the landing so I could have improved on that.
“But I am still so proud of what I have done here.”
Finally Freya Anderson added bronze to a silver earned on the opening night of competition as part of the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.
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