Injury-free Adam Peaty returns to the pool following tough year and targets a world short course title

Adam Peaty is back in love with swimming despite a tough year in and out of the pool.

Shaping for a 100m breaststroke three-peat at the Paris Olympics, in the last year the 27-year-old has battled both injury and the glare of the Strictly Come Dancing glitterball.

But now fully recovered from a fractured foot that saw him count a rare defeat at the Commonwealth Games, Peaty will take to the water in Melbourne tomorrow with a first world short course title in his sights in the 100m breaststroke.

The feat is the only major title to have alluded the three-time Olympic champion during his illustrious career but he is excited to change that tomorrow.

“I’m looking forward to having a challenge [in the pool] and I’m loving swimming again,” he said.

“I’ve had a lot of personal and physical challenges since the Olympics and done a bit of dancing, but I’m here and I’m happy.”

Peaty qualified fourth-fastest for the final in a time of 56.42 seconds, with Italy’s world champion Nicolo Martinenghi fastest seed in 56.01.

Melbourne marks Peaty’s first short course worlds since Doha 2014, where he won silver in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.

And after missing out on the podium in his favoured two-length event in Birmingham, the swimmer will be looking to climb back to the top in Melbourne.

Peaty joined forces with Ben Proud, Anna Hopkin and Medi Harris in the second day of racing to claim a fourth-place finish in the 4x50m mixed medley relay.

Hopkin anchored the team on the freestyle leg and touched the wall in a time of 1:37.07, as disqualifications for Germany and the Netherlands on takeovers bumped Great Britain up from sixth to fourth.

The disqualifications saw Canada steal the bronze as the USA claimed the title in a new world record time of 1:35.15.

But the swim of the second session in Melbourne went to Brazil’s Nicholas Santos who claimed his third successive world title in the 50m butterfly at the age of 42.

Santos had previously revealed that the race would be his final outing in competitive swimming and was thrilled to end his career on such a high note.

“This is so special,” he said. “I have tried hard to try to be an inspiration for kids and masters swimmers as well. This has been an amazing journey for me.”