\n<\/p>\n
After securing his first World Championship titles at Kazan 2015, Peaty spoke about his ambition to “dominate” the sport and take his event to new levels.<\/p>\n
Dean is similar and, after claiming four medals in Fukuoka, aims to win “even more” at Paris 2024 – an approach Pickering hopes some of the female swimmers will adopt.<\/p>\n
“Adam, Tom, Duncan, they’re experienced at delivering and, even if they’re not doing their best swims, they’re still helping other people to do great swims. We haven’t really had a ‘banker’ like that on the female side for a few years,” she tells BBC Sport.<\/p>\n
“We have some really good young prospects though, like Katie Shanahan and Freya Colbert [who were fourth and fifth in their respective best events at Fukuoka 2023].<\/p>\n
“At junior level, there’s some great talent too but we need to make sure we do everything we can to help them progress because we seem to be doing better at that with the boys than with the girls.”<\/p>\n
European junior 200m individual medley champion Leah Schlosshan and silver medallist Phoebe Cooper as well as distance swimmer Amelie Blocksidge, who became British senior champion at the age of 14 earlier this year, are among the prospects.<\/p>\n
British Swimming head coach Bill Furniss, who guided Rebecca Adlington to four Olympic medals, admits the women’s side has been “a little bit behind” the men’s in recent years but is encouraged by what he has witnessed recently.<\/p>\n
“I think it the improvement is typified by not only Lauren Cox, but our relays,” he tells BBC Sport.<\/p>\n
“The women’s 4x200m and 4x100m [freestyle relay teams] have struggled for some considerable time and now we’ve had two fourth places, so we’re getting closer to that podium.<\/p>\n
“That shows me how the depth is improving and we’re very pleased with how the girls are coming through.”<\/p>\n
Furniss also confirmed that Peaty, who took time out from the sport earlier this year to prioritise his mental health, is back training in a “positive” mindset and believes “we’ll see him again” competitively before Paris 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n