Adam Peaty has expressed gratitude to his wife, Holly, for her support during a challenging "whirlwind" 24 hours at the Commonwealth Games. This comes after he missed out on the 100m breaststroke gold and subsequently qualified for the 50m breaststroke final.
Peaty returned to the pool on Sunday evening for the 50m breaststroke semi-final, with a pregnant Holly watching from the stands. His second-place finish secured him a spot in the final race on Monday night. Following his 100m race on Saturday, Peaty became emotional in an interview, alluding to a difficult relationship with his estranged family.
"The last 24 hours have been a bit of a whirlwind, not something I'm not used to," Peaty said after his 50m semi-final. "But I guess in sport, it's not really about when you get beat down because it's going to be inevitable, that you do that, you make mistakes, it's how it takes you to look at that, perspective, turn it around for tonight and I'm really happy for that. On a great trajectory for tomorrow."
When asked about his support system, Peaty did not mention his family, instead highlighting his wife, his coach, his best mate Ed, and his teammates. He described his method of coping with pressure by writing down his thoughts to create a "battle plan."
On Saturday, Peaty finished third in the 100m breaststroke final, earning a bronze medal. In the post-race interview, he openly discussed the impact of his family feud. "It's hard because I know how hard I've worked," he stated. "I know the s**t I've been through, which is no fault of my own. It does take a toll."
The reported fallout with his family began in 2024, with sources indicating it stemmed from Peaty and Holly not inviting wider family members to their engagement party and wedding. Reports also suggest Peaty's mother, Caroline, who reportedly supported his early training, was not invited to Holly's hen party. Peaty previously addressed the feud on Instagram, stating there are "two sides to every story."
Miles Ramsey-Peaty's decision to use the double-barrelled surname, with Ramsay listed first, for the Commonwealth Games is reportedly another point of contention for estranged family members. Peaty has stated that he has had to make difficult decisions in recent months to focus on his performance, including ignoring negative comments online.
"My wife will always be proud of me. As a father, it doesn't matter whether you come home with a gold medal, as long as you come home. That's what really matters," Peaty added.
Despite the personal challenges, Peaty remains focused on future competitions, including the Europeans in two weeks. He acknowledged that his performance in the 100m was not his best, attributing it potentially to a return after a two-year break from championship racing. "I lost that scrap today, but that's sport. Most of the time I've won those battles – this time I didn't."