(Reuters) – Britain’s Olympic 100m breaststroke champion Adam Peaty said he is driven by the prospect of dominating opponents and shattering world records rather than merely winning medals as he prepares for this year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Peaty is the world record holder for the 50m and 100m breaststroke events and is one of the favourites to capture gold at Tokyo but the 26-year-old said it was all about being the fastest in the world.
“For me, as a personal journey, it’s all about breaking world records and going faster,” the 26-year-old told Reuters TV in an interview.
“My mindset, isn’t just about winning, it’s about dominating. And I think when you are talking about world records, you’ve got to almost have that different mindset.
“It’s not just turning up to get a gold there by this much, it’s getting a world record by body length. That is what really, really switches me on.”
When Peaty set a new world best in 100m breaststroke in 2015 of 57.92 seconds at the age of 20, he became the first man to go under 58 seconds.
He set a new mark of 56.88 at the 2019 world championships in South Korea and said that there is more to come.
“I do believe we can go fast and whether I can put a limit on that, I don’t know,” said Peaty, who was speaking on behalf of his ambassadorial activities with new luxury hotel brand Siro by Kerzner.
“But you’re looking at 56 low. I think there’s another half second in there you can respectfully take off. I’d absolutely go crazy if I went 55, if I saw 55 anything. I’d be like ‘that’s it, I’ve got to retire because that ain’t going to happen again’.
“To go anywhere near that you have got to have a perfect race, a perfect preparation. And not a single doubt in your mind that you can go fast.
“It’s not about anyone else in the pool, it is about how fast and how far can you push yourself but you know, that’s exciting.”
(Reporting by Iain Axon; Writing by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
