Britain’s defending Olympic breaststroke champion Adam Peaty says he is happy being the “underdog” as he continues his comeback at Paris 2024 this summer.
The 29-year-old missed the 2022 World Championships because of a foot injury and stepped away from the sport for a period last year to prioritise his mental health.
He returned to the pool in October 2023 and took bronze at this year’s World Championships in February, before winning the British title in April with the fastest swim of the year.
Peaty clocked 57.94 seconds to qualify for the Olympics, but he says there is no pressure on him in France, where he will be aiming to join United States great Michael Phelps and become only the second man to win gold in the same event at three separate Games.
“For me, going into these Games and especially these last 12 months, I’ve enjoyed being the person with the bow and arrow and not the one being fired at,” he said.
“There’s no pressure really on me. Yes, I’m Olympic champion and people are going for that crown but I haven’t really won anything since 2022 or 2021.
“I’m OK with that because I’ve been the underdog and I enjoy being an underdog, I enjoy fighting my way through the rounds.”
