Peaty sets new targets after receiving MBE

The Uttoxeter-born swimmer etched his name into the record books last summer as he became Great Britain's first male Olympic champion in the pool since 1988 with gold in the men's 100m breaststroke.

That led to him being recognised in the New Year Honours list and he was honoured two weeks ago at Buckingham Palace, receiving his MBE from HRH Duke of Cambridge alongside fellow Rio gold medallist and golfer Justin Rose.

"I am a very patriotic person, so the MBE means a lot to me. I am very pleased to get it and to have that to my name," said Peaty, who also won 4x100 medley silver in Rio.

"It is a race you can't win so I am glad it's something I can be recognised for.

"Obviously Rio was a massive thing, the Olympics is the pinnacle of the sport. Not everyone likes carrying that around with them but I'm not all about the past, I am looking forward to Tokyo now."

Peaty has been busy in the water this year too, becoming the most successful British male swimmer at any World Championships after taking his tally of global titles to five in Budapest in July.

An end-of-season break then followed before he opened up his new season last weekend with double gold at the third Manchester International Swim Meet last weekend.

In the first major event of the swimming calendar, Peaty finished first in the 50m and 100m breaststroke in 27.24 and 59.88 seconds respectively, as well as second in the more unfamiliar 200m behind Loughborough teammate James Wilby.

"It's the start of October, so for the first hit out of the year it was very good for me and hopefully I'll be able to get back to the 25s point at the end of the season," added Peaty, who became the first man to break the 26 second-barrier for the 50m breaststroke, when he posted a time of 29.95 at this year's World Championships.

"Obviously I am always looking to improve and find new areas where I can hopefully get up to the rest of the world, but the 200m is just a bit of fun for me at the moment.

"When I was in Rio it was a bit easier because I was doing 200m all the time. In the long term it will benefit my hundred as well."

With Peaty - who will seek to add to his two Commonwealth Games titles on the Gold Coast next April - seemingly unbeatable over the shorter distances, Wilby could boast inflicting a rare defeat on the Brit.

And he confessed that training with Peaty – who switched training bases from Derby to Loughborough this year – was helping to raise his game.

"Everyone knows how much of a beast he is and obviously he's stepping back into the 200m a little bit. The competition is only positive," he said.

"We are all really good friends, so whenever Adam's stepping into the 200m it's like great, more competition."

Sportsbeat 2017