Golden Peaty hopes to shine on the dancefloor
OLYMPIC SWIMMING HERO SIGNS UP FOR STRICTLY COME DANCING
I’m hoping my competitive nature is going to compensate for my dancing abilities!
Adam Peaty, left
THREE-TIME Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty has signed up for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The 26-year-old Loughboroug-hbased swimmer won two golds and a silver at the Tokyo Games, defending the 100 metres breastroke title he won in Rio five years earlier.
He also helped Great Britain claim a record eight swimming medals, eclipsing their previous best of seven at the 1908 Games.
But after returning home to a hero’s welcome, Peaty said he would take a break from the pool following his exploits for the sake of his mental health.
Peaty said: “I think this will come as a surprise to a lot of people, but I’m so excited to finally share the news that I’ll be joining Strictly this year.
“I’m really looking forward to doing something totally different and challenging myself away from the pool.
“I’m hoping my competitive nature is going to compensate for my dancing abilities!”
Speaking to BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat, Peaty admitted: “I’m not the most fluid on land.
“But, saying that, I am an athlete. I am used to working hard. Hard work is in my blood.
“It’s going to give me a new lease - just the way I look at swimming and look at training.
“If I take too much time out of physical training, I get fat, I get big, I put too much muscle on.
“Whereas Strictly is going to keep me fit, it’s going to be a change of stimulus, I’m going to do stuff I’ve never done before and hopefully have a lot of fun.” He added: “I’ve swam for seven years and I’ve gone through the constant cycle of championship, go back to training, go back to the drawing board, another championship and another championship, but I’ve never truly been uncomfortable.”
By winning the 100m breaststroke in Tokyo, Peaty became the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title. He also scooped gold in the mixed 4x100m medley relay and silver in the 4x100m medley relay. After returning home, Peaty said he would be taking a month-long break from the sport to protect his mental health and recharge before a push for more success in 2022. He has referenced the struggles of American gymnast Simone Biles and England cricketer Ben Stokes as reasons to strike a balance.
“It isn’t a normal job. There is a huge amount of pressure,” Peaty said.
“I’m taking a break because I’ve been going extremely hard for as long as I can remember. I’ve averaged two weeks off a year for the last seven years.”
It means he will miss the International Swimming League, which starts next month.