Unleashing ‘the Beast’: how Adam Peaty became invincible Peaty’s second Olympic gold medal cements his position as the most dominant sportsperson in Great Britain today – and perhaps ever 26 July 2021 • 3:20am There are three of us in the conversation. Myself. Adam Peaty. And The Beast. “Sometimes the beast has got to come out; sometimes it’s got to rest,” explains Peaty, casting his mind back to the day two years ago when he became the first swimmer to dip under 57 seconds for the 100m breaststroke. The great curiosity of that performance was not just that he went so far beyond any swimmer in history but that he should realise that particular dream at the semi-final stage of the world championship. Why not wait another 24 hours for the final?