Adam Ramsay-Peaty took a swipe at his estranged family as he broke down in tears following his surprise Commonwealth Games defeat on Saturday.
The upset Olympian went home with a bronze medal after he finished in third place in the 100m breaststroke final.
He was supported by his wife Holly Ramsay, who is pregnant with their first child.
Friends of Adam’s mother, Caroline, told the Daily Mail that she’s heartbroken after being banned from watching her son compete. Read the full story here.
In an interview after his defeat, Adam acknowledged the family feud and said the fallout ‘has taken its toll’.
‘It’s hard because I know how hard I’ve worked,’ Adam cried. ‘I know the s**t I’ve been through, which is no fault of my own. It does take a toll.’
The roots of the family conflict go back to 2024, when Adam and Holly snubbed wider members of the Peaty family by not inviting them to their engagement party and their wedding.
Caroline, who spent years ferrying her son to early-morning training sessions, was also not invited to Holly’s glamorous hen do.
Then, months later, Adam broke his silence on the feud as he insisted there are ‘two sides to every story’ in a statement he posted on Instagram.
Adam Ramsay-Peaty broke down in tears following his surprise Commonwealth Games defeat on Saturday when he finished in third place in the 100m breaststroke final
Adam celebrating his gold medal victory at the 2016 Rio Olympics, with his parents, Caroline and Mark Peaty
The latest blow came last month when the Daily Mail revealed Adam’s pregnant sister Bethany – the only member of his family to still be in contact with the couple – has now sensationally fallen out with Holly. Read the full story here.
The reports of his strained relationship with his parents have clearly taken their toll on Adam, as he was overcome with emotion after the result.
He added in his post-swim interview: ‘I’m never afraid to show emotion. It’s important because it helps create stronger people, stronger men, stronger fathers and stronger husbands.
‘This cycle especially, I’ve worked harder than ever. To get a result like that hurts because I know I’m better than that.
‘It’s still very raw. I honestly feel like I deserve more. There’s a lot of thinking to do, but it’s too early to draw any conclusions.
‘Maybe it was just an off swim. Maybe it’s because I’ve been away from championship racing for two years. I honestly don’t know.
‘What’s the point of all the 5.30am starts? What’s the point of all the metres every single day? What’s the point of being exhausted all the time, or missing family events because you have to train?
‘It has to mean something. For me, that means striving for excellence, and today wasn’t excellence. That’s where the emotion comes from.
‘The choices I’ve made over the last few months have been difficult. At the same time, I’m proud that I got here and that I didn’t quit after Paris [Olympics in 2024]. I know I deserve more, and I know I can work for it.
‘It’s been two years since I’ve raced heats, semis and finals, so maybe it’s just an adjustment. It’s too early to know what I’m capable of at this stage, but I’m a fighter.
‘We’ve got another opportunity at the Europeans in two weeks, and I do enjoy a scrap. I lost that scrap today, but that’s sport. Most of the time I’ve won those battles – this time I didn’t.’
‘It’s hard because I know how hard I’ve worked’, Adam cried. ‘I know the s**t I’ve been through, which is no fault of my own. It does take a toll’
Adam was the favourite to win the 100m breaststroke final at the Commonwealth Games, but only managed to secure third place
Adam was supported by his wife Holly Ramsay, who is pregnant with their first child
Adam kissed pregnant wife Holly’s baby bump as he finished in third place
The couple packed on the PDA after the swimmer missed out on a gold medal
Holly looked so proud of her husband after the race
The couple hugged after the tense final
Talking about his third-pace win, Adam said: ‘My wife will always be proud of me. As a father, it doesn’t matter whether you come home with a gold medal, as long as you come home. That’s what really matters’
On the podium, 18-year-old Brit Filip Nowacki (left), alongside gold medal winner, Australia’s Sam Williamson, and Adam Ramsay-Peaty
He continued: ‘Over the last couple of months I’ve had to make some hard decisions so I could focus on doing my job.
‘I’ve had to ignore a lot of the rubbish people write online. Enough is enough. This goes beyond sport. It’s about being decent people. We all have to do better.
‘My wife will always be proud of me. As a father, it doesn’t matter whether you come home with a gold medal, as long as you come home. That’s what really matters.’
Adam changing his name to Ramsay-Peaty and registering under the double-barrel surname for the Games in Glasgow, is the latest blow for his estranged loved ones – especially as Ramsay is placed first before Peaty.
A source said previously: ‘Adam may be rich, but we have something that he hasn’t and that is brains, loyalty, integrity and family.
‘Money makes for a cold bedfellow. It can’t hold you tight when things go wrong or when you have a bad day.’
They added: ‘When you live to be famous you aren’t living, you are playing a role. Fame is but fleeting but family is forever.’
Eighteen-year-old Filip Nowacki, from Jersey, finished in second place, 0.31 seconds ahead of world record holder Ramsay-Peaty, with gold going to Australian Sam Williamson.
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