Staffordshire's Adam Peaty ready to race at Commonwealth Games but admits it’s a tough task

The three-time Olympic champion will race in the 50 and 100 metre breaststroke, together with the men’s and mixed medley relays at Sandwell Aquatics Centre, having successfully recovered from the broken foot which ruled him out of last month’s world championships.

Peaty, 27, returned to the pool three weeks ago and only began diving again last week and though he will undoubtedly be one of the favourites and one of the Games’ headline acts, he admits his form remains a mystery. “I have better odds of guessing what number will come up in roulette. I honestly have no idea how I will fare,” he said.

“Performances in training are going really well, my body to power ratio is really good.

“It is all about breathing skills now and polishing off that speed, something we usually build in that racing style.

“But I have no clue where I am going to be. Obviously, I am going to be positive. I am not going to think about being bad or slow.

“The preparation is going the best it can but it is like roulette, you never know till the day. It is like that with every championships. You just have to go through the rounds. There may be a few cobwebs but I will try to avoid them as best I can.”

The broken foot, sustained while training in early May, was the first significant injury of Peaty’s career and denied him the chance to claim a fourth consecutive world double in the 50m and 100m events.

But he insists the pain has only renewed his thirst to become stronger and win more titles in the future.

“These last few months I haven’t had the smoothest ride and it felt something has been taken away from me,” he said.

“I saw my world title taken away without having any control over that and it has given me a new lease of life, a hunger I thought was missing. I feel good, fresh and my mind is ready to go. I have no expectations in where I need to be. I am just going to go, see where I am at, put some markers down.”