Adam Peaty Q&A - I want to go faster than everyone else

Yahoo UK: Has it been strange to return from the Olympics as a national hero?
Adam Peaty: I don’t see it like that at all, but it takes some getting used to when people come up looking for autographs and getting all excited to see you. I had two teenage girls shaking when they came up to me for a photo and I asked whether they were okay!  It turns out they were just excited to meet me, which is a fantastic and we appreciate the support all the Team GB athletes have had since we came back from Rio. It’s great for us to see the positive effect our success had on people.
 
Yahoo: The Russian drug scandal was the big topic of conversation before the Olympics, so was it a subject discussed in the athletes village?
AP: The Olympics has a power to divert attention away from any negativity once the sport gets underway and that’s what happened in Rio. I didn’t let any of those stories [surrounding Russian athletes] affect my mindset going into the Games and while there may have been some talk around other swimming events, it really wasn’t an issue I worried about. I believe if I give my best, it will be good enough for gold and thankfully that proved to be the case.
 
Yahoo: Did the new world record time you set in Rio for the 100m breaststroke exceed your own expectations?
AP: Not really. I knew that time was there when I broke the world record in the heats because it felt as if there was more to come in the final. Also, I don’t look at my new best of 57.13 seconds as the best I can do. My aim is to try and get to 56.5 seconds, which would be almost two seconds ahead of anyone else in history. That is a goal I am looking forward to.

Yahoo: How soon after the Olympics does your mind turn to your next target?
AP: I am not thinking about what is next just yet. I’m having some time off and you need that after a big event like the Olympics. Eating and drinking what you want, whenever you want has been a novelty for me since Rio and there have been a lot of burgers and a few beers with my pals to make up for missing out on all of that over the last few years.
 
Yahoo: With lottery funding for swimming dependent on success at the Olympics, did you feel under pressure to deliver success in Rio?
AP: You cannot worry about those kind of issues. Lottery funding has been massive for athletes in our country and it has given us a chance to maximise our ability as sportsmen and women and the medals table for the Rio Olympics shows what an impact it has had, but you cannot worry about being successful to keep your sport going when you are preparing for an Olympics or getting into the pool. I didn’t feel pressure this summer and that may be why I was able to perform at my best.
 
Yahoo: There was some criticism for the organisers in Rio and suggestions the athletes’ village was a little lacking in facilities, but what was it like to be part of the 2016 Olympics?
AP: You cannot compare what Rio did with our home Olympics in London for a variety of reasons. Brazil put on their own unique Games and I loved every minute of it. The Brazilian people were fantastic and the set-up Team GB had at the athletes’ village was great to be a part of. It was more like a mini city than just living accommodation and after being on such a strict dieting regime for so long ahead of the Olympics, I took advantage of the hospitality on offer.

 
Yahoo: Tell us about the Nextdoor project you are backing?
AP: Olympic athletes have a great platform to use the profile we have got following the Rio Games to promote sport and the hope is that a few people can be inspired by what they have seen in both the Olympics and Paralympics. The idea of the Nextdoor app is we can all connect with the people around us in our street and get involved in sport or activities together. Maybe you can arrange to share lifts to play sport together or arrange to play tennis or go swimming with a neighbour. It is a great initiative that can hopefully encourage more people to play sport in the UK.

Olympic medallist Adam Peaty joins Nextdoor to celebrate UK launch. Nextdoor is the private social network for neighbourhoods. Download the app for iOS or Android, or visit nextdoor.co.uk to find out more