Adam Peaty 'catches up' with Michael Phelps at Las Vegas Grand Prix

British Olympic champion swimmer Adam Peaty recently crossed paths with the most decorated Olympian in history, Michael Phelps, as the duo attended the F1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas. It was a star-studded affair at the Vegas event that saw Mercedes' George Russell claim the win.

The racing event held in Paradise, Nevada, hosted on Sunday, November 24, witnessed a double podium for Mercedes as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton joined Russell after finishing in P2. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. took third-place. The race day was graced by numerous high-profile figures, including Sylvester Stallone, Gordon Ramsay, and Alex Rodriguez; and alongside them, Phelps and Peaty also attended the event.

Peaty shared an image from his encounter with 23-time Olympic champion Phelps on Instagram and wrote:

"Great to catch up @m_phelps00. Excited for Race Day."

Peaty was in Vegas to relish his downtime away from the pool after his third successive Olympics appearance in Paris this August. The 29-year-old was there to defend his gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics in his marquee 100m breaststroke event, but lost to Italy's Nicolò Martinenghi by just 0.02 seconds as he finished second with a time of 59.05 seconds.

However, it was later determined that he had tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, Peaty was also a part of the British team that finished fourth in the men's 4x100m medley relay.

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"He's an incredible idol" - Adam Peaty on how Michael Phelps' journey with ADHD has inspired him

Michael Phelps and Adam Peaty at the OMEGA House Rio 2016 ( Source: Getty)

In an April 2024 interview with Sky Sports, Adam Peaty shared how Michael Phelps' experience with ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), a condition that can affect an individual's development and behavior, served as an inspiration to him and other swimmers.

"He's an incredible idol. Incredible person, incredible athlete. If you're going to achieve anything great, it's going to come at a cost. But it's how you work your way back to that and we'll see what my story ends up," Peaty said.

"I'm just my own person on my own path and people compare. People can say you're the best in the world and you can be the best athlete and people say you're rubbish, because they've never done it," he added.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Peaty had expressed his goal of matching Phelps' record of winning three consecutive individual Olympic gold medals.