NO RE-PEAT WINNER WILL ADD HUNGER

ADAM PEATY says the Paris Olympics will be “very special” for him and suggests his rivals make the most of his absence from the World Championships.

Britain’s greatest swimmer misses the event, which starts tomorrow in Budapest, having fractured a bone in his foot while training last month.

Without Peaty there will be a new winner for the first time since 2013.

But the Staffordshire star (inset showing off Tokyo Games gold) said: “Going through this now is going to be one of the best things that’s happened to me in terms of perspective, hunger and drive heading into Paris ’24.

“That Olympics is going to be a very special one for me. “Eiri, my partner, reckons this injury has given a new flavour and depth to my career because I’ve never before been injured. And she’s right. You’re forced to be in this hole and you can’t fight yourself out of it.

“You’ve just got to be patient and give it time.”

Patience does not come naturally to Peaty (right).

So while he has made peace with his absence from Hungary, he is not about to give up on next month’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

“I’ve no race experience this year,” said Peaty, a CUPRA ambassador. “I’ve done what, three? Normally it’s 15 by this point. So it will be interesting to see how these next few weeks go.

“I’ve always said if I can fight, I’ll fight. If I can’t,

I’m not going to risk it.

“But hopefully we’ll be in a position soon where

I can start to do breaststroke kick.

“That then should give me enough time in terms of technique to get back on the ball.”

■ ADAM PEATY drives the CUPRA Formentor, the high-performance coupe crossover SUV.

For more information visit www.cupraofficial.co.uk