Why they rank here
The most dominant single-event swimmer of the modern era. Peaty transformed the 100m breaststroke, becoming the only man ever to break 57 seconds and setting the world record at 56.88 in 2019, a mark far ahead of the rest of history. He won Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, plus a mixed-relay gold, for three Olympic golds, and collected around eight world-championship titles. His 'Project 56' target became a byword for pushing a barrier thought unreachable. Between 2014 and 2021 he was undefeated in the 100m breaststroke at every major final, a streak of dominance rare in any sport. His combination of stroke rate and power rewrote what the event could be.
Career profile
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