Adam makes a splash with gold on the Gold Coast
Adam Peaty wants to go a “lifetime” undefeated in the men’s 100 metres breaststroke after completing a fouryear sweep of major titles with Commonwealth Games gold.
Peaty is the dominant force in his signature event – he is the only man to have swum beneath 58 seconds and has the 11 fastest times in history – and he is eyeing glories for some time to come.
The 23-year-old Olympic, World and European champion defended the title he won at Glasgow 2014, clocking 58.84 seconds.
James Wilby, the 200m breaststroke champion, took silver in 59.43secs, while South Africa’ s Cameron van der Burgh was third.
Asked how long his unbeaten sequence can continue, Peaty said: “A lifetime – if I keep at it”.
He has previously said he hopes to compete up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
He added: “It makes me want to sit down now and take a deep breath. But I think I can.
“The more worrying thing for me is how can I keep the sport new, how can I keep my motivation high. That’s going to be my next challenge now, to keep pushing and keep pushing.”
Peaty was underwhelmed by his display here, but August’ s European Championships in Glasgow is his major target in 2018.
“Even though it’s a gold medal and it’s four years undefeated a nd th a t’s completed the circle, I’m not happy with that performance,” said Peaty.
“It’s not the best version of me. That’s the first time ever where I’ve felt not in control of my race.
“I think I let the event get to me too much and I was thinking about the end result instead of the process.
“It’s been a big learning curve here. My stroke feels nowhere near what it should feel like.”
Peaty’s final swim was slower than the time he recorded in early March in Edinburgh while in heavy training.
He added: “I know I was cramping up with 15m to go and that never happens.
“I was maybe taking too many strokes and thinking too much of the time instead of the process.
“It’s a half mental thing, half technical and fitness.”
England’s Molly Renshaw took women’ s200m breaststroke silver, while Chloe Tut ton claimed bronze for Wales’ first medal in the pool of the Games.
Scotland’s Duncan Scott earlier took 200m butterfly bronze – his third bronze – as South Africa’s Chad le Clos won a third straight title in his main event.
There was another Home Nations bronze, for England’s women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team of Eleanor Faulkner, Siobhan O’Connor, Freya Anderson and Holly Hibbott, as Australia won gold.