Lurking in shadows for years, Adam Peaty powers to Paris 2024

Adam Peaty's dominance in the men's 100m breaststroke event has been unrivaled for nearly a decade. He showcased his supremacy by successfully defending his 100m title at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, after earlier setting a record for the fastest 20 times in history over the distance. The British swimmer's illustrious career includes eight World Championship gold medals, an impressive tally of 17 golds at European Championships, and four golds at the Commonwealth Games.

However, the year 2022 took an unexpected turn for Peaty. Firstly, he suffered a shocking loss, finishing fourth in the Commonwealth Games after breaking his foot. This setback was followed by the announcement that he was caught in a "self-destructive spiral," prompting him to make the stunning decision to step away from the sport in order to prioritize his mental health.

After being out of the spotlight for a long time, the 29-year-old made his return to the major tournament stage in February, where he settled for a bronze at the World Championships in Doha. If that was just a warm-up, Peaty made a resounding statement on Tuesday night.

The two-time Olympic champion announced his comeback to the world by claiming the title at the British Championships. With a time of 57.94 seconds in the final, he recorded the fastest men's 100m breaststroke time in the world this year. This remarkable achievement secured his qualification for the upcoming Olympics. As the reigning world record holder with a time of 56.88 seconds, Peaty is now poised to defend his back-to-back Olympic titles in Paris.

"I'm finding a new version of myself which I'm really liking, and I think that's a version that can do really well at the Olympics. I felt so light in the water. This is a real win for my team, my family and myself," Peaty said.

"I've learned to appreciate the moments of greatness for myself, not even relative to the world," he added. "For me, that was a great swim, executed well but the most promising thing is that I'm finding peace in the water now, instead of anger and just fighting it, and trying to win like that."

"Who knows what the ending is going to be but I am having fun along the way. It may not end up as a fairytale, but it might..."