Adam Peaty Will Not Go To Doha Worlds In 2024; Tom Dean – Not A Good Call From FINA
Adam Peaty won’t be going to the 2024 World Championships in Doha and believes the meet will be poorly attended weeks before Olympic trials season gets under way.
There has been growing criticism of FINA’s decision to stage the 2024 worlds from 2-18 February and to also make it a relay qualification meet for the Paris Games to be held from July that year.
Peatys Coach Mel Marshall accused the decision-makers of ignoring “the people that really matter in this sport,” and criticized the lack of consultation over the scheduling given its proximity to the trials season with the Olympics following five months later.
Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
British Swimming head coach Bill Furniss said it was “a question of fairness” and pointed to the advantage that will be enjoyed by some teams who qualify their relays at Fukuoka worlds next July.
Peaty and six-time Olympic medalist Duncan Scott were both critical of the decision while James Guy was unequivocal, stating “I ain’t going”.
Three-time Olympic champion Peaty on Saturday returned to the water for the first time since April following injury when he was the only man inside the one-minute barrier in the 100br heats at the Commonwealth Games.
The 27-year-old, who is seeking his third straight 100 Commonwealth crown and his first 50, looked ahead to Doha, saying:
“I can’t really see the bigger nations going just because the prep for the Olympics is so specific and you need that winter block and that is January, February.
“I’m not going to go, a lot of the British swimming team probably won’t go so how many world champions are going to be Olympic champions? Not many.”
Olympic 200m freestyle champion Tom Dean called for FINA to reschedule Doha, saying:
“I think putting a world champs in the same year as the Olympics is not a good call from FINA, personally I don’t believe that is the best approach to take.
“I think they need to review the calendar and look at it say everything got pushed back because of Covid, there’s nothing we can do about that now, let’s try and make it as normal as possible going forward for the athletes and give them the best chance to perform at the biggest competition which is the Olympics.”
The double Olympic champion is competing at Commonwealths weeks after taking bronze at the World Championships inBudapest.
Following Birmingham, a British team will head for the European Championships in Rome making it three major meetings in the space of two months.
Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
“I think it’s always tough when two meets are not close enough that you can just bounce on and stay tapered and relaxed but not far enough apart that you can get a solid block of work in.
“So it’s up to the coaches to plan how we deal with being in no-man’s land in that respect: my coach Dave McNulty is able to do that very well but unfortunate to be in that position.”
He also called for more athlete representation when it comes to decision-making that affects them, saying:
“I think athletes should always have to say in all decisions made by international governing bodies. That’s true not just of swimming but all sports.
“I think it’s something that in my talks with members of FINA it’s something they want to do more of but I think we are holding out to see that actually coming to fruition.”