Strictly back to business as Peaty goes for golden hat-trick

IN those rascal black goggles, he is the golden boy of Peaty Blinders, Team GB's longest-running hit series in the pool.

- WALLY MEETS

And when he goes for a third 100 metres breaststroke title at consecutive Games in Paris, Adam Peaty will be favourite to be the first Brit bringing home the bullion next month.

Since landing his first gold medal in Rio eight years ago, he has become a national treasure, tripping the light fantastic on Strictly Come Dancing between what he calls Olympic "crusades".

If there's any justice, he will be Team GB's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony in Paris - if he can afford to stay up late the night before his breaststroke heats in the aquatic centre next door to the Stade de France.

Not bad for a boy who was so scared of water as a four-yearold that he refused to sit down in the bath.

But if Peaty, 29, is one of our greatest Olympians, what was that intermission on Strictly (with dance partner Katya Jones, right) about?

"It was a very unique experience, a very unique bubble," he said. "Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I not enjoy it at times? Yes, because it's hard work, and it's incredibly difficult to learn something new in four days before performing live in front of millions.