Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Adam Peaty announced Wednesday he intends to compete at a fourth Olympics after six new swimming events were added to the 2028 Los Angeles Games in what he called “an amazing decision.” The International Olympic Committee ratified a move that will see the 50m backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke all contested for the first time. Previously, only freestyle was raced over the sport’s shortest distance despite all four strokes being on the schedule at world championships.
Britain’s Peaty is a two-time 100m breaststroke gold medalist and the world record holder over 50m. The 30-year-old had previously stopped short of confirming his plans for Los Angeles, but the chance to win a 50m breaststroke title has convinced him to keep going. “50m Sprint Events have just been added to @la28games which confirms my attempt to be at my Fourth Olympic Games,” he said on Instagram. “This is the best result for our incredible sport and will allow more people to be part of it and stay in it much longer. Thank you @world_aquatics for this amazing decision.”
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“I’ve got a good feeling about these next three years,” he added. The additional 50m events bring the swimming gold medal count to 41 from 35 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Australia’s Cameron McEvoy, the reigning men’s Olympic 50m freestyle champion, added: “50m specialist training methods now a hot commodity after dunking on it for so many years.” Overall, there will be 55 medals awarded in aquatics — which also includes artistic swimming, water polo, diving, and open water — more than any other sport.
“Today’s decision is a testament to the continued evolution of swimming at the Olympic Games,” said World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam after the move was ratified by the International Olympic Committee. “Including these six new events enhances the programme’s balance and adds more opportunities for athletes to showcase their skills on the world’s biggest stage.” Swimming is one of only four sports contested at every Olympics since the first Games in 1896, alongside athletics, artistic gymnastics, and fencing.
The United States and Australia have long been dominant in the pool, with the two nations again at the forefront in Paris last year. The IOC also announced that the number of female athletes competing in Los Angeles (5,333) will exceed men (5,167) for the first time. It follows the women’s football tournament being boosted to 16 teams. The men’s competition has 12. An additional women’s weight category in boxing and two extra women’s water polo teams ensure gender parity in those sports. A number of new mixed-team events were also confirmed, including in golf, gymnastics, and table tennis, while a 4x100m mixed relay was added to the track and field competition.
© 2024 AFP
