“Human first, then athlete”: Adam Ramsay-Peaty enters new phase of career after missing out on Commonwealth gold

Once he was unbeatable. Now Adam Ramsay-Peaty admits he’s only human.

Ramsay-Peaty arrived in Glasgow with high hopes of becoming the first British swimmer to win individual gold medals at four consecutive Commonwealth Games.

In 2022, Peaty lost out in his signature 100m breaststroke event but roared back to win over the shorter distance just 48 hours later. Four years on, and while the mind maintains its trademark steely focus, it’s clear the body is not so kind.

Peaty claimed he ‘deserved more’ than his bronze in the 100m, but there can surely be no arguments with this result in the splash-and-dash 50m breaststroke.

He was the third-fastest qualifier, and that form held up as he claimed another bronze while Australia’s Sam Williamson secured another gold.

At 31, Ramsay-Peaty is learning quickly that, for all the talk, he can’t defy the simple passage of time.

“I used to be the winning machine. Now I’ve shown my human side,” he said. “For that period when I was undefeated for eight years, it was athlete first and human second. Now it’s human first, then athlete.

“I’ve been that person who won all the time, and it cost me pretty much everything. I wouldn’t say it’s worth it now.

“There’s been a lot of learning this week. I’m pretty sure that was my last individual event at the Commonwealth Games. I really enjoyed it, but we just weren’t fast enough. We weren’t good enough, and we have to look at why.

“Every day in training this season I’ve been tracking in the right direction, so I can’t really put my finger on it. Somewhere along the way I’ve lost that power per stroke, but that’s sport.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s frustrating when you can’t quite put your finger on what’s wrong. You digest it, just like in any other sport. You look at the data, work out what went wrong and really focus on fixing those areas.”

Ramsay-Peaty is more reflective than bombastic these days, showing a side that he previously kept hidden. Next up in just a few weeks are the European Championships in Paris, a return to the city where he felt at his lowest in the days after the Olympics two years ago.

Ramsay-Peaty’s preparations have also been shaped by significant change away from the pool. After long-time coach Mel Marshall left Loughborough for Australia following the Paris Olympics, he reunited with Jamie Main at Repton.

But that partnership proved short-lived as he relocated to London with his wife Holly – daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. He is now based at Chelsea and Westminster Swimming Club under coach Lisa Bates, dividing his training between Kensington and the London Aquatics Centre in Stratford.

It would be bold to bet against him turning this around, though the odds are clearly starting to lengthen.

“There are always two arguments going on in my head: ‘I’m good enough’ and ‘I’m not good enough’,” he said. “I have to channel that frustration into the right areas, and right now that’s looking ahead to the Europeans.

“There’s still a lot of work to do. We need to change a few things in training, but that’s between me and Lisa. I’ve only been at my new training base for 12 weeks, so let’s keep it in perspective.”

Ramsay-Peaty’s future may be on borrowed time, but Amalie Smith, just 16, is certainly one to watch for LA and beyond.

Smith has been carving time off her personal best in recent weeks and took another chunk off it with a silver-medal swim in the 400m medley final.

Australia’s Jenna Forrester proved too strong but, on this evidence, Hannah Miley’s British record of 4:31.33, set 17 years ago, could soon be under threat.

“I was thinking I’d love to win a medal, but the fact I’ve actually managed to achieve it is just crazy. I’ll definitely have to spend some time reflecting on it,” said Smith.

“I think the key is not getting ahead of myself and actually taking a step back to appreciate what I’ve achieved. At the same time, it’s about setting realistic goals, making progress bit by bit and using every race as a learning experience.

“It’s hard to say whether I feel like I belong at this level yet, but if I keep swimming like this I’ll start to feel more at home.”

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