Olympic 100m breaststroke champion Adam Peaty is swapping the pool for the dancefloor after it was announced he would be starring in the BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ show.
Peaty became the first Briton to defend an Olympic swimming title when he added gold in Tokyo to the one he claimed at Rio 2016.
He also became only the second swimmer to win consecutive golds in the two-length event, 13 years after Kosuke Kitajima achieved the feat at Beijing 2008 to add to his gold from Athens.
Peaty announced that he would be taking some time away from poolside and now it appears it will be sequins and glitterballs rather than swimsuits and goggles.
Not for a while any focus on his movement through the water and around the wall but instead the intricacies of his foxtrot and tango.
Peaty told the BBC:
“I think this will come as a surprise to a lot of people, but I’m so excited to finally share the news that I’ll be joining Strictly this year.
“I’m really looking forward to doing something totally different and challenging myself away from the pool.
“I’m hoping my competitive nature is going to compensate for my dancing abilities!”
The show is a dance contest in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance with each couple scored by a panel of judges.
Peaty will follow in the footsteps of two-time Commonwealth champion Mark Foster who reached the sixth round in 2008 before becoming unstuck with the Paso Doble.
European 400IM silver medallist Aimee Willmott, who was seventh in Tokyo in the final race of her career, offered her cheerleading skills.
Partner Eiri Munro, with whom he has an 11-month-old son George, added on social media: “Anyone who has seen Adam dance before will know that we are in for a TREAT
”
Peaty also explained how George had given some vital input before he joined up for the twinkletoed extravaganza.
https://twitter.com/adam_peaty/status/1426183870907551744
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