Missing the World Aquatics Championships through injury could do Adam Peaty “the world of good”, according to long-term team-mate James Guy.
Peaty was forced to withdraw from the upcoming competition in Budapest after fracturing a bone in his foot.
Guy, who has won Olympic, world and European relay golds alongside Peaty, is part of a 22-strong British team set to compete in the Hungarian capital from June 18-25.
The 26-year-old believes Peaty may benefit mentally from his enforced break and gain additional motivation for future events, including the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“It would have been our fourth Worlds together and I’ve always shared a room with him so it will be different with him not there,” said Guy.
“You know what? I think it might do him the world of good not being there. Mentally it will make him probably a lot hungrier and probably drive him a lot more for Paris.
“Someone of his accolades, it’s hard to keep that hunger there. You look at all of your greats, your Michael Jordans, your (Michael) Phelps’, they’ve all had a break at some point and I think this is his mental break a little bit.
“Seeing probably (Arno) Kamminga and (Nicolo) Martinenghi rattling the breaststroke without him being there, he’s going to think, ‘right I want to be there, I really want to get back and fight with these boys and show them who I really am’.”
Three-time Olympic champion Peaty won both the 50m and 100m breaststroke titles at the last three World Championships, meaning new winners will be crowned for the first time since 2013.
The 27-year-old from Uttoxeter, who has eight world titles in total, sustained the injury last month while training in the gym.
He is now focused on recovering in time for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Guy – a two-time Olympic and four-time world champion – feels the British team can remain competitive in the relay events in the absence of their star name.
“I think the relays at Budapest we’ll get a line for the final and we’ll put our best team in the final,” said Guy, who is also set to compete in the 100m and 200m butterfly disciplines.
“We’re not going to be down in the dumps, (thinking) ‘Adam’s not here, oh no, boohoo, cry me a river’.
“We’re going to get on with it and see how fast we can do without him and see how we can challenge for medals without him there.”
