Triple Olympic gold medalist Adam Peaty withdrawn from English Swimming Championship for mental health reasons.
The 28-year-old said he “didn’t enjoy sports” as he had done before and said he wouldn’t be competing in the championships in Sheffield next month.
Peaty believes his decision will help him prepare for next year. Paris The Olympics, where she hopes to defend her 100m breaststroke and 4×100m medley medley gold won at Tokyo 2020.
Peaty wrote on his social media accounts: “Everyone wants to sit in your seat until they have to…few people realize what winning and success do to an individual’s mental health. They don’t understand the pressure these individuals put on themselves to win again and again.
“As some know, I’ve struggled with my mental health over the past few years and I think it’s important to be honest about it.
“I’m tired, I’m not myself, and I’m not enjoying the sport for the past ten years.
“Some may perceive it as burnout; I just know that I haven’t had the answers for the past few years. With help, I now know how to clear the imbalance in my life.
“As I continued training, I decided to withdraw from the sport. British Swimming championships next month. Its sole purpose is to deliver the best possible performance in Paris at the 2024 Olympic Games.
“I am so grateful for all the support I have received from my team and family at British Swimming, along with my incredible sponsors, family and friends.
“As always, I am forever grateful to the swimming community and beyond for the incredible support I have received.
“This sport has given me everything I am and I look forward to finding my love for it again.”
Peaty suffered a setback after breaking his foot in a freak training accident in 2022, but was able to recover in time and compete in the Commonwealth Games. Birmingham last summer.
The Mixed Games saw him finish fourth in the 100m breaststroke – his first defeat at the event in eight years – but returned 48 hours later to win gold in the 50m distance.