Peacock: I am the hunter

PARIS, France (AFP) — British Paralympics great Jonnie Peacock believes there is no pressure on him as he bids to regain his 100-meter title in Paris, saying that “I am no longer the hunted, I am the hunter.”

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 backs.”

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,” Peacock said.

“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.”

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 of 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 that 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.