âThat race was mine to lose,â he said, something he had never allow himself to say beforehand. âEveryone knew it, I was trying not to think it.â
It was not just the pressure of being the heavy favourite, it was everything he has been through. The past year has been hard on everyone, Peaty said, and he is no exception. He has bought a house, become a father and has been trying to balance his those responsibilities with his sport. All this while coping with the travel restrictions, which meant he was not able to go abroad to train and that when heâs been racing there has been no crowd to cheer him on.