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[ad_1] LONDON: Triple Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty said he has been in a "self-destructive spiral" due to mental health issues that saw him not selected for the World Aquatics Championships later this year. The 28-year-old has been in a class of his own in sprint breaststroke events for nearly a decade, winning gold at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics in the 100m as well as the 4x100m mixed medley relay in Tokyo. But Peaty has spoken previously about periods of depression and problems with alcohol, which he admits worsened last year as he struggled with injury, motivation and the breakdown of his relationship with the mother of his young son. "It's been an incredibly lonely journey. The devil on my shoulder (says), 'You're missing out on life, you're not good enough, you need a drink, you can't have what you want, you can't be happy'", Peaty told The Times. "I've been on a self-destructive spiral, which I don't mi

[ad_1] LONDON: Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete as neutrals in World Aquatics events, the sport's governing body said on Monday. Competitors from both countries were banned from international tournaments following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation". Belarus has been a key staging point for the invasion. A maximum of one "individual neutral athlete" from the two federations will be allowed to compete per event and under the strict criteria set by the independent Aquatics Integrity Unit, to include robust anti-doping measures. "The World Aquatics Bureau recognise the dedication, commitment, and talent of athletes, regardless of their nationality," World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam said in a statement. "Despite the challenges we face on the international stage, we acknowledge our responsibility to foster a competitive, fair, and in

[ad_1] LONDON: Triple Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty will miss this year's world aquatics championships due to ongoing mental health issues. The 28-year-old was left out of the Great Britain squad released Wednesday for the July 14-30 event in Japan, with "no specific timeline" set on his return. "The focus is very much on ensuring he is fully supported, and working with him on when he is ready to make a full return to his normal competition schedule," British Swimming told BBC Sport. Last month Peaty opened up about struggling "with my mental health over the last few years". "I'm tired, I'm not myself and I'm not enjoying the sport as I have done for the last decade," he wrote on social media when pulling out of the British swimming championships. Peaty is still hoping to defend the 100 metre breaststroke and 4x100 metre mixed medley golds he picked up at Tokyo 2020. He suffered a setback in 2022 after breaking

[ad_1] FUKUOKA: Teenage Canadian swim star Summer McIntosh said Friday she is feeling no pressure ahead of the world championships despite sky-high expectations that she can take the event by storm. The 16-year-old broke world records in the 400m freestyle and 400m individual medley earlier this year and has been tipped to confirm her status as one of the sport's brightest lights in the southern Japanese city of Fukuoka. Her campaign begins in the 400 freestyle on Sunday in a blockbuster battle against Australian Olympic gold-medallist AriarneTitmus and American defending champion Katie Ledecky. Titmus suggested last month that McIntosh could crumble under the pressure, but the Canadian said external noise was "irrelevant" as she prepares for the championships. "I don't really feel outside pressure – I try not to focus on it," she said. "Obviously, it's there, but at the end of the day, all I can do is try my hardest and train as hard