TWO world records in one day
THE MAKING OF SWIM SUPERSTAR ADAM PEATY
His coach describes him as a Ferrari and the marketing men are christening him the heir to Michael Phelps.
At swimming’s World Championships in Budapest this week, Adam Peaty has blitzed his rivals in explosive fashion.
Yesterday the 22-year- old from Uttoxeter hit new heights when he broke the 50m breaststroke world record twice.
Perhaps the most jaw-dropping fact is that Olympic champion Peaty has all of the top 10 fastest times in the world in his signature 100m breaststroke event.
Sportsmail examines our global swimming superstar and the dedication that goes into making him an invincible force...
THE COACH
Mel MArshAll, who won european Championships gold medals for Britain, took Peaty on as a 14-year-old. After winning gold in rio last summer, Peaty said: ‘Mel will keep me grounded. if she thinks i’m being a bit of a k***head she will be quick to say so.’
Marshall said: ‘ The first time i saw him i thought, “This lad’s got something”. When he started he was like that three-wheeler that Del Boy used to drive in Only Fools
and Horses. Now he’s a Ferrari.’ The turning point for Peaty was the 2012 london Olympics, where as a 17-year-old he saw his friend Craig Benson swimming for Britain. Peaty explained: ‘it was then i stopped getting drunk in a field, messing about with my mates and started being serious about this. i only have one shot.’
FUEL IN THE ENGINE
DUriNg his most intense training programmes in the winter, Peaty eats 6,000 to 8,000 calories per day, up to three times more than the average man. At his most lean, his body fat percentage will be about six per cent. An ordinary man’s is 18-24 per cent.
Peaty is up most mornings at 5am and in bed by 9pm. he drinks at least five litres of water a day, eats peanut butter spread over banana during training and has a blast of caffeine before a race.
TRAINING REGIME
AT 6ft 3in and 13st 5lb, he has a rippling physique. Peaty benchpresses 285lb while still maintaining his speed. he starts his day with a set of clap press-ups, where he lifts his body off the ground and claps at the peak of the bounce. he has also been seen doing pressups with a fitness trainer resting on his back!
he also does kettlebell overhead swings, squats with a swiss ball above his head, a set of push-ups resting on a medicine ball and drills with battle ropes.
SHAVING SECONDS OFF...
PeATY shaves his legs, chest, arms and armpits before racing. removing dead skin cells from the surface produces a new layer of hypersensitive cells that allow faster travel over the water.
Vaseline is also lathered over his chest. Before the races start, Peaty peps himself up by listening to grime music by stars such as stormzy and Jaykae. Peaty said: ‘grime reminds me that swimming is very gladiatorial. i believe in that mind-set. i love it.’
he also keeps two lucky charms with him. ‘At the Olympics, i had a pocket next to my chest where i kept a horseshoe from Uttoxeter, and a roman medallion. i’m a bit superstitious.’
After winning gold in rio he added a giant tattoo of a lion to his upper left arm with roman numerals denoting 2016. he says: ‘it reminds me what it took to get gold and the world record.’
THE NEW PHELPS
PeATY, who recently split from his girlfriend, is described by sports marketing expert Nigel Currie as a marketeers’ dream.
‘his appeal is clear,’ said Currie. ‘he is the best in the world, and a young, good-looking guy.’
Peaty has sponsorships locked in until 2020. his agent rob Woodhouse explains: ‘he’s fantastic in and out of the water, and he speaks with such intelligence that he becomes very marketable.
‘We are set to announce a major global sponsorship deal next month.’
Asked whether Peaty can develop the worldwide appeal that Phelps has, Woodhouse said: ‘it’s unheard of to win by these time differences and he is undefeated since 2014. history will eventually judge him in relation to Phelps.’
TAKING OFF
DAViD Wilkie, the British Olympic gold medallist at Montreal 1976, is blown away by Peaty’s gifts. he said: ‘in sports, you get those few athletes who go the extra mile, who have the psychological and physical qualities to conquer the world. he has quite a narrow and speedy kick and it helps that he can do a few dolphin kicks just after the dive.
‘When you think when i was competing, it was difficult to break 30 seconds (for 50m) and now he’s getting to the 25s, it is mindblowingly good.’
his powerful leg thrusts are supported by his double-jointed ankles and a high- speed stroke rate. No wonder his rivals film him to study his technique.
PROJECT 56
The world record for 100m breaststroke remains the 57.13sec that Peaty set in the Olympic final in rio. Now he has his eyes on ‘ Project 56’ to break through another barrier.