PEATY GIVES GB X-FACTOR
Triumphant swimmers inspired by talisman ...
IN the immediate aftermath of Great Britain’s record fourth gold medal in the pool, Adam Peaty was asked what made this swimming team so special. ‘One word has changed the British team — belief,’ he replied. His team- mates, though, would give two words: Adam Peaty.
The Peaty Effect is real and British swimmers are only too happy to admit it. ‘ He’s just completely changed British swimming,’ said Kathleen Dawson after winning the mixed 4x100metres medley relay with him yesterday.
‘He’s been a great catalyst for that. He’s shown that Great Britain are up there with the rest of the world and are in front of the rest of the world in some events. Being on the same team as him gives us great confidence.’
Peaty’s influence dates back to 2015 when he first broke the 100m breaststroke world record and then became first British man to win three gold medals at the same World Championships.
So when the 26-year-old talks about ‘belief’, it’s he who has given that to this team. Indeed, after winning their first Olympic gold medals this week, Tom Dean, James Guy and Duncan Scott all said that Peaty had been their inspiration.
The other recurring theme of this week has been team spirit. Peaty says British Swimming’s ‘culture and ethos’ is now ‘idolised’ by the rest of the world and you only need look at their relay displays to see that togetherness on show.
‘At the core of it, we are one team,’ said James Wilby, who finished fifth and sixth in his two breaststroke finals and featured in the men’s 4x100m medley relay heats.
‘I take as much pride in contributing that 0.01 per cent to someone else’s journey as I take in my own swimming. If I can be there in any way that supports someone else, that’s just as meaningful for me.’
Jacob Whittle, who is the youngest member of the squad in Tokyo aged only 16, admitted: ‘They treat everyone the same whether you have been to three Olympics or it is your first one. All the other swimmers are willing to help you.’
Of course, team spirit would not mean much without top facilities and coaches. Backed by funding from UK Sport, British Swimming have been able to turn Loughborough and Bath into world-leading national training centres.
‘What we have in Bath is working,’ said Guy after yesterday’s second relay gold medal. ‘The product we have at home, the gyms, the physios, and Dave McNulty who runs it all, he’s got it right and that has clearly shown here.’
McNulty is one of the outstanding coaches of his generation. As well as mentoring Guy, he is the man who has guided Dean to his double freestyle glory this week. The other top coach of this current crop of swimmers is Mel Marshall, who l ooks after Peaty, backstroke bronze medallist Luke Greenbank and mixed medley champion Anna Hopkin.
‘I want to say a massive thank you to her believing in me from the start, that’s where it all stemmed,’ said Peaty. ‘If you haven’t got a coach with that charisma, you are not going to go far. She makes it enjoyable and fun — and she works us hard.’
The challenge for British Swimming is to build on their greatest Games in 113 years and perform even better in Paris. Wilby said, ‘ We’ve got more to do but then going forward three years to the next Olympics, we are only going to keep building momentum and it’s going to be on other countries to start catching up.’
Paris, then, should not be a problem and neither should the years to come if the next generation have been inspired by Peaty and Co.
‘If you are a kid watching now, I was that same kid in 2012,’ added Peaty. ‘Follow your dreams and see you in the team in eight years.’