Adam Peaty targets rare ‘three-peat’ as his priorities change for Paris Olympics

Adam Peaty is aiming for gold at three consecutive Olympics, a feat managed only four times before in the pool and only once by a man, Michael Phelps. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

Adam Peaty says he has reset his priorities as an athlete following the mental health issues that caused him to take a break from swimming, but has warned his Olympic rivals that “it’s always about the three-peat” as he begins to count down to Paris.

This year, the 100m breaststroke world-record holder revealed he had been “on a self-destructive spiral” that had led him to question his love for the sport. But Peaty says he is now “a lot happier” having adapted his approach beyond a mentality that focussed only on increasing the success he could deliver in the pool.