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The reigning British swimming champion, Adam Peaty, has declared that he will not compete in next week’s championships in order to focus on his mental health. Peaty, a three-time Olympic breaststroke winner, admitted in an Instagram post that he has been dealing with pressure brought on by success and personal issues. Peaty claimed gold in the 100m breaststroke at both the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and gold in the 4x100m mixed medley. By winning another Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, he established Olympic history as the first British swimmer to do so. He remarked that he is not loving the sport as much as he used to and that he is tired. He also emphasized the fact that the purpose of the break is to deliver his best performance at the Paris Olympics 2024.
In his Instagram post, Adam Peaty mentioned the pressures that come with winning and success, saying that few people understand what it does to an individual’s mental health. He also acknowledged his struggles with mental health and the need to be honest about it. Peaty further added that he has not been able to find the answers he is looking for and feels burnt out. He hopes that with help, he can address the imbalance in his life. He also thanked his family, friends, team members, and sponsors for their incredible support.
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This is how the sporting community and fans supported Peaty after his post relating to skipping the British Championships –
What Adam Peaty stated in the tweet
“Everyone wants to sit in your seat until they have to sit in your seat…very few people understand what winning and success do to an individual’s mental health. They don’t understand the pressures these individuals put on themselves, to win over and over again. As some people may know, I’ve struggled with my mental health over the last few years and I think it’s important to be honest about it. I’m tired, I’m not myself and I’m not enjoying the sport as I have done for the last decade, ” Adam Peaty said.
Peaty added, “Some might recognise it as burnout; I just know that over the past few years, I haven’t had the answers. With help, now I know how I can address the imbalance in my life. Whilst I am continuing to train, I have decided to withdraw from the British Swimming Championships next month. This is with the sole purpose of delivering the best performance possible in Paris at the 2024 Olympic Games.”
How did British Swimming react to it?
British Swimming supported Peaty’s decision to skip the British Swimming Championships and said that Peaty will keep working with his coach, Mel Marshall, as part of his recovery process. Marshall has long served as Peaty’s coach and has helped in his professional success. Due to a foot injury, Peaty missed the world and European championships this year and finished without a medal in the 100m at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. However, before the injury, he went eight years without losing in the competition.
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