SaqFormer Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock has said he is now “the hunter” as he questions whether his sprint rivals can handle the pressure of Paris 2024.
British athlete Peacock is seeking a hat-trick of 100m golds at the fourth Games of his illustrious career after settling for a tie for bronze in Tokyo, without a crowd, following successes in London 2012 and Rio 2016.
The 31-year-old, who will compete in the T64 series on Sunday – a day before the final – feels like “a man among boys” in the French capital because of his greater experience.
He set himself the mission of achieving the best time of the season in front of tens of thousands of spectators at the Stade de France, while throwing down the gauntlet to his main competitors.
“A lot of people seem to forget where I am and who I’ve been,” Peacock said.
“I’m the only person in this race who will be competing for this gold medal for the fourth time.
“I’m almost a man among boys here in that sense, I’m an old hand.
“It’s a pressure race. It’s not about time, it’s not about how fast people have been racing all year.
“The question is can you handle it? Can you handle everyone watching you? Can you handle a stadium full of people screaming and then do the work that matters?
“It’s the jackpot and it’s the pressure cooker. I’m no longer the prey, I’m the hunter.”
After an exhilarating four-man photo finish in Japan, nothing could separate Peacock and Johannes Floors, as gold went to Germany’s Felix Streng ahead of Costa Rican silver medallist Sherman Guity.
The Briton predicts an equally intense battle in Saint-Denis and believes most of the expectations rest on the shoulders of defending champion Streng and world number one Maxcel Amo Manu of Italy.
“A lot of my competitors have probably never felt a full stadium, so that’s something they’re going to have to deal with,” Peacock continued.
“It’s something I’ve experienced many times before and I really like it.
“The two people who should have the most pressure in this sense are Felix and Maxcel. They have the target on their backs.
“We saw it in Tokyo, we saw how close that race was. I expect something similar to happen again.
“I know people in this race who consistently run their best times outside of championships, who consistently show up to championships and run slower than they have all season.
“I’m not that kind of person. If I don’t make too many mistakes, touch wood, I expect to have my best season.
“The question is how many other players can say that. I’m intrigued. There are five of us who could win on any given day.”
Peacock, who had his right leg amputated below the knee after contracting meningitis at the age of five, believes his current level of training is the best since he won the last of his six major honours – the 2017 world championships in London.
“In terms of happiness with what I’ve achieved, I’m happy,” said Peacock, who finished fifth behind Manu, Guity, Streng and Floors at last year’s Worlds in Paris.
“We won six gold medals there: two European, two World, two Paralympic – a home win each time as well, so it’s a nice little package.
“But we’re all avid athletes, we always want more, so I wouldn’t be happy to leave here with nothing. Once you have gold, you don’t look for silver anymore.”
Saq
