Adam Peaty reveals he could swim the 200m breaststroke in this summer’s Commonwealth Games

Adam Peaty could be in the hunt for five medals at this summer’s home Commonwealth Games after revealing he is considering swimming in the 200metres breaststroke.

The triple Olympic gold medallist is the world record holder and world champion in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke.

But Peaty says he is also going to give the more unfamiliar 200m a go at trials in Sheffield in April. If successful, that would take his tally of events at Birmingham 2022 to five, including the men’s and mixed medley relays.

Adam Peaty could be in the hunt for five medals at this summer’s home Commonwealth Games

The triple Olympic gold medallist is the world record holder in the 50m and 100m breaststroke

‘I’m going to probably swim the 200m at trials, just to see how it goes,’ admitted Peaty after being named among the first swimmers in Team England’s squad.

‘That will be like an expedition race. I’ve no idea what time I will do. I’ve not done the 200m at trials since 2016 when I went out in 59 seconds and came back in a coffin!’

‘The Australians are much better at that long distance breaststroke and it’s going to be a packed field, but I’ll see how that goes.

‘You’ve got to keep it fresh. What has worked well for me in the past was to do the 200m just for endurance training.

But he is also going to give the more unfamiliar 200m a go at trials in Sheffield in April

‘I need to be uncomfortable in a scenario where I am not winning. That is something I have learned over the last few months off.’

Peaty’s last major defeat came at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018, when he took silver in the 50m – which is not an Olympic event.

That shock loss to South African Cameron van der Burgh spurred the Brit on to break the 100m world record a few months later, before he went on to win two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.

Peaty is now keen to put right that Gold Coast upset in Birmingham, which is close to where he lives and trains in Loughborough, as well as his birthplace of Uttoxeter.

Peaty’s last major defeat came at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, losing to Cameron van der Burgh (left)

‘That’s the only title that I’ve not got,’ said Peaty. ‘I remember in the Gold Coast, I said if I carry on like this, I’m not going to win the Olympics.

‘My body and my mind weren’t in the right shape back then. But I did fix that by breaking the world record a few months later.

‘I’m glad we could fix that and I’m very excited for Commies. It’s only 40 minutes from my house. I couldn’t get more of a home Games.’

Peaty is currently training in Florida having taken five months off after the Olympics last year, which he used to compete in Strictly Come Dancing.

Peaty took five months off after the Olympics last year to compete in Strictly Come Dancing

‘It was obviously a risk to take so much time off but I am so glad I did,’ the 27-year-old added.

‘It is so important to take that time away, just to think, to drink beer and wine, and just be normal.

‘I’m not as unfit as I thought I would feel. I thought January was going to be messy trying to get my fitness back, but it only took a week to get really good times again.

‘I feel like I have got a second wind now.’