“Adam's a phenomenal swimmer. He really doesn't have much to prove,” Fletcher said.
“He's won every gold medal, every major championship, and he’s achieved multiple world records. But going for three gold medals in a row, that's uncharted territory for a British swimmer.
“There will be those who doubt whether he can achieve a third gold medal in a row. And indeed, his own internal voice will be doubting that at times.
“I think the key difference is his performance at the trials. He posted a time that was ranked number one in the world and that would have done a huge amount to bolster his own confidence and give him the belief.”
It’s been a difficult period for the Loughborough University-based swimmer that included a brief hiatus from the sport to focus on his mental health and well-being.
But as Fletcher states, this period of reflection may well work to Peaty’s advantage.
“By his own admission he's been in some pretty dark places and talked about some of the mental health challenges.
“What's terrific is the way that he regrouped. The work that he did with Mel (Marshall, Adam’s coach) and his psychologist and his broader team to re-evaluate why he was doing the sport in the first place.
“When you're going into this uncharted territory of a third gold medal, the motivations behind that and why you keep going is something that you need to take a bit of time to reflect on.
“Adam has talked about that and going through that process, and I think that was absolutely key to getting back on track with his training.
“Once you're back on track with the training, you're enjoying the training more, you know more about why you're doing it. That then gives you the motivation and the drive to keep going.”
David Fletcher is Professor of Human Performance and Health and Loughborough University’s Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sport, Health and Wellbeing).
For all the latest Loughborough news around major global sporting events, visit the University’s dedicated website here: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/athletes-global-stage/
Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #Lboro2Paris
