Earlier this month multi-Olympic champion and reigning world record holder Adam Peaty of Great Britain revealed he would not be competing at the 2022 FINA World Championships due to a foot injury.
His absence not only means that we’ll see our first new 50m and 100m breaststroke world champion since the 2013 edition of the typically biannual long course competition, but it also rattles the lineups for GBR’s medley relays.
Unfazed by his longtime teammate’s absence, however, is 2015 world champion in the 200m free James Guy.
“You know what? I think it might do him the world of good not being there. Mentally it will make him probably a lot hungrier and probably drive him a lot more for Paris,” the 26-year-old Bath swimmer told Yahoo News regarding Peaty.
“Someone of his accolades, it’s hard to keep that hunger there. You look at all of your greats, your Michael Jordans, your (Michael) Phelps’, they’ve all had a break at some point and I think this is his mental break a little bit.”
Despite his absence from the upcoming World Championships, Peaty already previously said he would be focusing on the Commonwealth Games as his primary target for 2022. The Commonwealth Games begin on July 28 in Birmingham, England.
We put forth the fact that Peaty’s focus, let alone now his absence, would open the door for additional contenders to take the gold in Budapest, including Dutch ace Arno Kamminga and Italian speedster Nicolo Martinenghi.
Guy says Peaty’s being a faraway spectator may wind up being beneficial.
“Seeing probably (Arno) Kamminga and (Nicolo) Martinenghi rattling the breaststroke without him being there, he’s going to think, ‘right I want to be there, I really want to get back and fight with these boys and show them who I really am’,” says Guy. (Yahoo News)
Guy also addresses the relay impact, saying, “I think the relays at Budapest we’ll get a line for the final and we’ll put our best team in the final.
“We’re not going to be down in the dumps, (thinking) ‘Adam’s not here, oh no, boohoo, cry me a river’.
“We’re going to get on with it and see how fast we can do without him and see how we can challenge for medals without him there.”
Great Britain has had Peaty on its World Championships men’s and mixed medley relay since 2015, with the following results:
2015 – 4th place in men’s medley, Gold in mixed medley relay in then-WR time
2017 – Silver in men’s medley, 5th place in mixed medley relay
2019 – Gold in men’s medley, bronze in mixed medley relay
In Peaty’s absence in Budapest, the British squad will most likely look to James Wilby to fill the void, with the Loughborough swimmer having been the nation’s #2 100m breaststroker since 2018.
However, whereas Peaty owns a lifetime best of 56.88 (current WR), Wilby’s career-best rests at the 58.46 he notched nearly 3 years ago. With that differential coming into play, the rest of the GBR crew will have to bring their A-game to fend off the likes of the United States and Australia.
great britain’s medley relay team:
Should be enough for silver
Italy’s Ceccon and Martinenghi will blow Greenbank and Wilby away, and Miressi is not easy to deal with for Burras.
Martinenghi was atrocious on the relay in Tokyo, and may even get them DQ’d with his dolphin kicks
Is it definitely Burras over Scott? Burras is doing very well this year but Scott seems to pull out monster 100 free splits even when he’s not focussing on it.
Barring some prior evidence at the meet about fitness, I have a hard time believing they’d leave Scott off any relay that he wanted to swim.
Burras is having a great season, but GB is getting to the point now where they’re deep enough that great swimmers are going to be only on the prelims relay. It’s part of the growth.
Scott’s only issue is the sheer size of his programme. He could legitimately race 4 individual events and 6 relays if it went only on what he ‘could’ do.
Burras’ breakthrough and Dean’s determination to work the 100,200 creates an interesting dilemma – especially with no Peaty get out of jail card in the medleys. This is not necessarily the most important worlds ever for GBR – a home Commies is their go to meet this year and a few other CWG folk seem to be swerving the Worlds for Birmingham…This might therefore be the year for GBR to experiment a little, especially at men’s 4 x 100 free, if Scott is seriously thinking of moving up to 400… Read more »
Comparing Adam Peaty to Phelps? Peaty can’t even swim the 200m breaststroke at international meets. Phelps could compete in 100/200/400m events in various strokes.
I think that, all things considered, Lilly King is a more impressive breaststroker than Peaty. Even though the 200m isn’t in her natural wheelhouse, she has still found a way to be competitive and win medals.
Wasn’t a comparison at all… was an example to give context.
Then you go on to compare?
Lol it takes so little to get the Phelps Hive to overreact
Girl…Let’s get a brain and start from there eh
I really wish people understood what they read