Adam Peaty, world record holder in the 50m breaststroke, to announce big news. He’s hoping to make it to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics! Now 30, Peaty is primed for a strong return to action. He was just a few tenths of a second away from winning his third straight gold medal in the 100m breaststroke at those same Paris Games. His aspirations would dovetail nicely with a bold new Olympic swimming program expansion. This expansion will add six more 50-meter sprint events, three for men and three for women.
The LA 2028 Olympics live up to the thrill-a-minute hype with 41 total medal events. That’s a breathtaking jump from the 35 events hosted in Paris! The other new entrants are the men’s and women’s 50m breaststroke, butterfly, and backstroke events. These changes will help level the playing field for swimmers, especially those like Peaty who are better suited to shorter distances. As for 50m events, the relatively less training load might represent a less daunting route for elder athletes.
New Opportunities for Sprinters
Peaty shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming sprint events. He tweeted that the @la28games just introduced 50m sprints into their programming. This seals the deal on his self-described ambition to make it to his fourth Olympic Games. The swimming community is abuzz with excitement. Even the most established of our veteran challengers are in unanimous agreement that these changes are indeed groundbreaking.
Sarah Sjostrom, the current world record holder in the 50m butterfly, expressed her excitement for having the 50m sprints added. She added, “All 50s are finally coming to the Olympic program! Greatest news ever for swimming. Sjostrom’s excitement is especially palpable given that she is readying for her own return after having announced her pregnancy last summer. Since 2015, she has never lost a race in the 50m butterfly at world championships. That track record is bound to make her a force to reckon with when the Games come around.
The move to add these events is part of a larger trend in Olympic swimming, where the shorter distances have increasingly taken center stage. Its introduction into the Olympic program can be traced back to that same event held in Seoul in 1988. Specifically, since its inception the sprint format has continued to grow in popularity with athletes and fans.
Peaty’s Road to Recovery
Yet as Peaty made his return to elite competition, it hasn’t been smooth. During the Paris Games, he took a major blow when he tested positive for COVID-19, derailing his performance. Peaty’s time of 57.73 seconds was a mere – relatively speaking – 0.02 seconds behind Nicolo Martinenghi’s winning gold time in the 100m breaststroke. He continues to look positively on his future opportunities.
And if he has his sights firmly set on LA 2028, then Peaty’ll be 33 years old. Shifting priorities to prioritize shorter events would be well worth it. With less intense training compared to the 100m and 200m races, Peaty believes this shift might allow him to extend his swimming career and compete at a high level once again.
Leave a Reply