Peaty targets four gold medals at 2028 Olympics
Peaty took a break from swimming after winning silver in the 100m breaststroke at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. He previously took an extended break from sport in 2023 to prioritise his mental health after experiencing a "major, major burnout". However, while "the athlete in my head" is missing not competing at the ongoing World Championships in Singapore, Peaty has a clear plan for his return to competition and is training "a lot smarter" as an older athlete."I made the call in January or February, when I started to get back into training, that this Worlds wouldn't be for me because it would be too rushed," Peaty said. "I want to be at the [2026] Commonwealth Games. I want to be at the Europeans next year. I'm never going to take my spot for granted - just because I've got a world record doesn't mean I'm going to be there, it's ridiculous. I've got to earn those places, which excites me. "I did some race prep before I came out here to see where I'm at and we're in a good place for October World Cups in America and Canada."On his training, he added: "If you'd told me 10 years ago I'd be doing a pilates session this morning, I would have said 'no way'. "I look back on certain camps and I was chasing numbers, I needed the outputs, the validation. But I wasn't swimming the smartest in my head in terms of recovery, mental health and the warning signs of what burnout looks like. "[Now] it's what I decide. This block [in Los Angeles], I know it's a holiday so I'm just going to see how I feel. When I get back into England I'm ramping up for the Commonwealth Games - 4km sessions, 4.5km - and that gives me the best results."
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
American swimmers hit back at Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte criticism
American swimmers in action at the World Championships in Singapore have responded with frustration at criticism of the squad by retired greats Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps. Lochte, whose 200m individual medley record was shattered by French swimmer Leon Marchand on Wednesday, posted an image of a funeral on Friday with a gravestone reading 'In loving memory of United States Swimming,' with a superimposed engraving of 'They set the bar high - until they stopped reaching for it'. 'Call it a funeral, or a fresh start,' Lochte captioned the image, 'We've got 3 years'. Phelps reposted it, adding a caption which read, 'Is this the wake-up call USA swimming needed?' The criticism appeared aimed at the fact that US athletes did not win a single gold medal among the first five relays of the world championships, with the mixed 400m relay team failing to make the final. The national federation has also come in for criticism over its management of the athletes' pre-championships camp in Thailand, where an 'overwhelming majority' of the swimmers suffered acute gastroenteritis, heading to the Worlds suffering the after-effects. However, despite a comparatively slower start to the meet, the US has won 26 medals as of close of play on Saturday and sits top of the medal table, with eight golds. Of those eight golds six have been won by female swimmers, with Luca Orlando the sole male individual champion, in the 200m butterfly. Saturday saw Katie Ledecky record a 23rd world championship title as well as Gretchen Walsh pick up gold in the 50m and 100m butterfly, while the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay team smashed the world record to seal the title. Walsh was asked about the criticism on Saturday and said, 'I was made aware, and it's frustrating, but I think that personally, I am just trying to block it out and take on the meet with everything I can and just show up and race like I know how. 'I think we've been dealing with a lot so it's hard to get the criticism in the first place because I don't think people quite understand the magnitude of everything going on behind the scenes. 'But showing up, giving my best, and coming out a world champion twice now has been everything, and I'm just happy to keep doing it and happy that I'm feeling like myself again in the water.' Her compatriot Lilly King, who reached the 50m backstroke final on Saturday, tagged Lochte and Phelps in an Instagram post with the caption, 'Y'all been real quiet tonight,' accompanied by the eyes looking sideways emoji.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Walsh blocks out criticism of US team's performance at world championships
Aug 2 (Reuters) - Gretchen Walsh admits she struggles to understand the flak being directed at the U.S. team over their performance at the world championships in Singapore and said the swimmers have been competing under extremely difficult circumstances. The U.S. team were hit by an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis during a training camp in Thailand just before the championships, with several swimmers travelling late to Singapore and other having to pull out of events. On Friday, six-time Olympic champion Ryan Lochte shared an image on social media of a tombstone with the inscription: "In loving memory of United States Swimming. They set the bar high -- until they stopped reaching for it." He also added a caption referencing the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, saying: "Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We've got 3 years." U.S. swimming great Michael Phelps then shared Lochte's post and added: "Is this the wake-up call USA swimming needed?" Asked about the criticism Walsh, who won the 50 metres butterfly title on Saturday to add to her 100 crown in Singapore, said she was trying to ignore it. "I was made aware, and it's frustrating, but I think that personally, I am just trying to block it out and take on the meet with everything I can and just show up and race like I know how... "I think we've been dealing with a lot so it's hard to get the criticism in the first place because I don't think people quite understand the magnitude of everything going on behind the scenes. "But showing up, giving my best, and coming out a world champion twice now has been everything, and I'm just happy to keep doing it and happy that I'm feeling like myself again in the water." The U.S. top the medal standings with eight golds, one ahead of rivals Australia with one final day of competition to come. The U.S. have won only one individual gold in the men's events, Luca Urlando claiming the 200 butterfly title. Jack Alexy, who was part of the team that won the mixed 4x100 mixed freestyle gold in a world record time on Saturday, said U.S. athletes were always held to the highest of standards. "It's definitely fuel to the fire for the next couple years," added Alexy, who also has a silver and two bronze medals from his events in Singapore. "And the theme going into this meet was setting off the tone right for LA 2028. So I think we're continuing to do a better job at that, especially after tonight, and I'm really excited for the future."
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Katie Ledecky wins thrilling 800m world gold to deny Summer McIntosh shot at five individual titles
American Katie Ledecky continued her domination of the women's 800m freestyle with a brilliant swim to win gold at the world championships in Singapore on Saturday and deny Summer McIntosh the chance to win five individual titles. It was Ledecky's seventh gold medal in the event at the world championships and 23rd world title overall, the 28-year-old edging out Australian Lani Pallister and McIntosh with a time of eight minutes and 05:62 seconds, a championship record time. Pallister pushed hard all the way and took a remarkable silver in 8:05.98, while Canadian McIntosh was third in 8:07.29 in an instant classic of a race. 'That's pretty incredible, three of us going under 8:10 ... incredibly fast. They pushed me all the way,' Ledecky said. 'I don't think I have anything to lose at this point of my career,' the 28-year-old added. 'Just enjoying the crowd, swimming against the best in the world. Everyone in that heat is the next generation of swimmers coming up; just proud to be a part of it.' Ledecky also won gold in the 1,500m and bronze in the 400m, and is closing in on compatriot Michael Phelps ' record of 26 world championships titles. The defeat ended McIntosh's bid to match Phelps's record of five individual titles at a single world championship, though beating Ledecky in the 800m always looked like it would be the biggest obstacle on the 18-year-old's programme. Ledecky broke her own 800m world record in May, swimming 8:04.12 to improve a mark she set nearly a decade ago at the Rio Games, but McIntosh had also been making waves in the event in the build-up to the world championships. She posted the third-fastest time ever in June and ended Ledecky's 13-year unbeaten streak in 2024 when she bested the American at a sectionals meeting in Florida. McIntosh said she would try to get the race out of her mind as quickly as possible with another shot at a gold medal coming up in the 400 individual medley on Sunday. 'I know I'm the favourite going in so it's a bit of a different set-up. I'm excited to finish off this meet with a really strong swim and I have full confidence for the IM,' she added. 'I went into the 800 free with full confidence as well so I think this is a really big learning lesson for me.' Saturday's race was billed as a showdown between Ledecky and McIntosh but Pallister threw a spanner in the works by taking an incredible five seconds off her personal best. 'I feel like that's been the biggest hyped-up race and the 800 is my best event, obviously with an 8:05,' Pallister, who took bronze in the 1,500m and finished fourth in the 400m, told Australian broadcaster Nine Network. 'Coming off the 1,500, being comfortable swimming next to Katie, being close in the 400, I knew I had a sub 8:10 in me. I didn't think I'd be 8:05 here, but now I'm really thrilled with that.' Saturday's meet also saw the United States set a world record in the mixed 4x100 metres freestyle relay. The US team of Jack Alexy, Patrick Sammon, Kate Douglass and Torri Huske clocked 3:18.48, breaking Australia's previous mark of 3:18.83 set at the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka. World record holder Kaylee McKeown underlined her status as the undisputed queen of backstroke swimming as she added the 200m gold to her triumph in the 100m, clocking a time of 2:03.33, the third fastest swim of all time. It was nearly a second better than American challenger Regan Smith (2:04.29), who had taken silver behind McKeown in the 100m and 200m at the Paris Olympics and was runner-up to her again in the 100m in Singapore. Just like in Paris, McKeown's win came straight after compatriot Cameron McEvoy stormed to his second 50 freestyle title in 21.14 seconds, becoming the oldest Australian swimming world champion at the age of 31. Fastest off the blocks, McEvoy once again denied Ben Proud (21.26) gold, having beaten the Briton to the Olympic title by a fingertip in Paris exactly a year ago.
