Adam Ramsay-Peaty’s Commonwealth Games return was marred by a bizarre delay which held him back from the pool for 10 minutes.
The swimmer, who has added his wife Holly’s family surname to his own, made a splash in the 100m breaststroke heats.
Ramsay-Peaty recorded the quickest time of anybody in the heats to qualify for the semi-finals this evening, with the final being tomorrow.
But the 31-year-old, who is targeting a fifth Commonwealth gold medal, had to wait around due to a strange occurrence.
While he was on the blocks, one of the lane dividers broke off, leading to some commotion as the fixing had sunk to the bottom of the pool.
Fortunately, a volunteer was on hand to strip down to his shorts and dive in to amend the problem.
Adam Ramsay-Peaty (not pictured) was delayed on his return to the Commonwealth Games… as a volunteer had to jump in the pool to fix a lane line
The swimmer blasted through his 100m breaststroke heat and is hoping for a fifth Commonwealth gold
Holly Ramsay cheered husband Adam on from the sidelines amid her pregnancy
And none of that put Ramsay-Peaty off his stride as he blasted to a time of 59.46 seconds.
This is his fourth Commonwealth Games – his debut was in 2014 in Glasgow, and he has made the tournament a happy hunting ground with four golds and three silvers.
Alongside the 100m, the three-time Olympic champion will also partake in the 50m breaststroke event.
His wife, Holly, the daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, shared a snap to her Instagram Stories of Adam in his new ‘Ramsay-Peaty’ swimming cap and wrote: ‘So Special.’
Holly, a 26-year-old influencer, is pregnant with their child.
Swimmer Ramsay-Peaty’s parents did not attend the wedding in December and are assumed to not be attending the Commonwealth Games amid a falling out. Adam remains estranged from them.
Earlier this month, the Daily Mail revealed that 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.
The roots of the family conflict go back to September 2024, when Adam and Holly snubbed wider members of the Peaty family by not inviting them to their engagement party.
Holly shared a snap to her Instagram Stories of Adam in the new swimming cap and wrote: ‘So Special’
The athlete duly wasted no time in recording the fastest time of the morning, 59.46 seconds
Influencer Holly, 26, announced last month she is expecting a baby girl with Adam
His parents, Caroline and Mark, did not attend the wedding and are assumed to not be attending the Commonwealth Games amid a falling out. Adam remains estranged from them
Mother Caroline, who spent years ferrying her son to early-morning training sessions, was also not invited to Holly’s glamorous hen do at Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds, even though the bride’s mother, Tana, and friends including Victoria, were at the extravagant bash.
Adam changing his name to Ramsay-Peaty and registering under the double-barrel surname for the Games in Glasgow is seen by some as 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 doesn’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 fleeting but family is forever.’
Adam has described these Games as a ‘full circle moment’ as he looks to reignite his career.
A silver medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024 helped him refocus after a difficult 2023 in which he withdrew from a series of events in order to focus on mental health concerns.
He credits his Christian faith with saving him and helping him turn his life around.
His win in the 100m in 2014 began eight years of almost total dominance in the event. That streak came to an end in dramatic fashion in Birmingham four years ago when he trailed home in a shock fourth place in the event.
The athlete, who is due to return for his semi-final on Friday evening, told TNT Sports: ‘Job done, really. We’ve got a busy two weeks coming up, so we’re reserving energy where we can.
‘Last time I was here, I was very young. We barely had any world records to my name, or known world records to my name, so it’s been a very long journey.’
