Angered by ‘Disempowerment’, Adam Peaty Backs Long-Term Swimming Coach’s Move to Australia

For Adam Peaty, “Sport is not the real world.” Rather, the real world stands fully different to him. There, he finds a “self-destructive spiral.” In his vast career, the British swimmer felt the pangs of it by suffering depression and problems with addiction. Because of that, he had to withdraw his name from elite contests like the British Swimming Championships. The issues took a toll on his relationships as well. He had to see people moving away from him. However, in that murky time, Peaty found only a handful of individuals beside him, pulling him up from the pit. His coach, Melanie ‘Mel’ Marshall, is one of those saviors.

Once a phenomenal British swimmer, the 42-year-old has been with Adam Peaty for the last 17 years, guiding him from his early days in the swimming club to the Olympic stage. However, their bond has recently hit rock bottom, with Peaty expressing his displeasure at the turn of events.

Adam Peaty goes berserk on the authorities for their actions 

In July of this year, it was announced that Mel Marshall would be relocating to Australia to take on a high-performance role with the Griffith University Swim Club. The update indicated that she would sever all ties with Aquatics GB and officially join Swimming Australia on January 1, 2025. This decision effectively ended her coaching duties with Adam Peaty. Did Peaty take this break lightly? No, that would go against his character. Rather, the six-time Olympic medalist breathed fire, aiming at the British swimming authorities for letting Mel feel, ‘disempowered’. He speculates that his coach may have felt pressured to decide because of this awful feeling she had at work. But did he know about the turns of events throughout the phase? 

Yes, he knew all the events that had happened with Mel Marshall. In the conversation with Donald McRae, the 29-year-old said, “From my perspective she is an incredible coach that has been undervalued, under-supported, and sometimes even [stopped from making] decisions which would have made her an even better coach.” He further noted, “Like any high-performance job, you have people who will try and bring you down. People reading this will know who they are. But that’s just sport in this country. It will not change until someone goes: ‘This is not good enough.’” That’s a serious allegation from one of the best-ever breaststroke swimmers of all time. However, Adam Peaty remained unbothered, thinking about the reactions. Instead, he stood beside his long-time coach. 

Peaty supported Mel’s move to shift to Australia after serving British swimming for three decades. He backed her decision only because he thought that it might be the only way for his coach to “feel valued.” However, his coach has a lot of things to add to the situation. 

Mel Marshall calls it a day after finding out the right moment 

After the COVID period, UK Sports has worked heavily to improve the number of women coaches in the country. Still, the loose ends have remained somewhere. Mel Marshall also feels that it is all about the lack of empowerment. In her interview with the BBC, the veteran coach said, “It’s not just about men and women, it’s about coaching in general. We have to do way more to empower people that are educated, that are leading because they have the experience and expertise.” As per her, this feeling is common among coaches in the UK. So, it is the apt time for her to move out. Regardless, she had multiple offers to take up a high-level job. 

Extending her statements, the two-time Olympian said, “There were opportunities and there were offers, and there was a feeling of desire for the skillset I have.” And after careful observation, she voted for the Swimming Australia job. “It’s the right time in my life, it’s a good adventure to take and those things matched with what I want to do in the next stage of my career,” she laid out, supporting her decision. But it would not mean the end of her bonding with Adam Peaty. According to Mel Marshall, she will be available to guide her stellar student if he wants to continue swimming after the Paris Olympics. That’s how things stand between them right now.