English Woman's Journal - Paralympics icon Peacock back in the hunt to regain his 100m title

The 31-year-old two-time champion in the T64 category -- for athletes who have a single below-the-knee amputation or moderately affected movement in one lower leg -- said it was his rivals who "have the target on their back".

Peacock, who had his lower right leg amputated after contracting meningitis aged five, was principally thinking of Germany's Felix Streng, who took his crown in Tokyo in 2021, and Italy's Ghana-born world champion Maxcel Manu.

"The two people in my opinion with the most pressure on them are Felix and Maxcel," said Peacock.

"Maxcel has run the fastest time in the last year and won the world championship title 14 months ago so he has to do the job here.

"Felix is the defending champion. I know people in that race who consistently run fast times outside the championships but I am the person who every time turns up at championships and runs faster times in them.

"Provided I do not make too many mistakes, touch wood, I know I can do that again but the question is how many of the guys can as well."

- 'Fallen asleep' -

Peacock, who became something of a poster boy for disabled sport following his first gold in London in 2012, says he is proven to be able to cope with pressure.

"I am relishing the prospect drawing on my experience," he said.

"How many of the others have dealt with it in that situation and it is how they deal with it that will decide the outcome.

"It is a really cool race to be part of, it is a pressure cooker.

"For me the big thing and it is interesting a lot of people forgot is that I am the only person contesting the event at the Paralympics for the fourth time.

"For most of them it is just the second, I am almost a man among boys!"

Peacock, who has dabbled with acting and appeared in British TV shows such as "Strictly Come Dancing", says no matter one's talent you have to have a strong mentality to produce a championship-winning performance in a full stadium.

"A handful of my rivals are the same age, so they are not all youngsters but in terms of experience I feel a bit different and feel ready," he said.

Peacock admitted that the Covid-affected Tokyo Paralympics, held in an echoing, empty stadium were no fun, but as a result "it limited the pressure".

"For me this (Paris) is what it is about. Can you handle everyone looking at you, can you perform in a stadium full of people, who are screaming and yelling?

"Can they deal with that noise, this is what intrigues me."

Peacock points out that although 31-year-old Manu won the world title last year in Paris, it was a poorly attended event at Charlety Stadium in Paris and cannot be compared to the Stade de France, which could be an 70,000 sellout for the September 2 final.

"I have run on many occasions in big packed stadia," he said. "I thrive on that, the more pressure there is the faster I run.

"This season some meetings were so poorly attended that before I ran I have nearly fallen asleep.

"At one meet this year I was lying on the grass five minutes before I raced and dozed off, I was almost too relaxed!"

P.Munro--EWJ