BRITISH Paralympian Johnnie Peacock has showed off a new look ahead of the Games in Paris.
The four-time Paralympic medalist is targeting his third gold next month in the 100m T44.
He won his first gold at London 2012 as a fresh-faced 19-year-old and set the Paralympic record in the process with a time of 10.90.
Peacock, who starred in Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 with Oti Mabuse and was the eighth contestant to go, now looks remarkably different, sporting a man bun and bushy beard.
The 31-year-old also looks in top shape with a ripped physique, with the sprinter claiming he is at the peak of his powers.
Asked what his goal in Paris is, Peacock replied: “It’s a very shiny medal. When you’ve won a gold medal, silver medals aren’t that fun. They are always a disappointment.
“I feel like I can fight again. That’s something that’s really important for me.
“The last few years I’ve been off balance, right on the ragged edge of my technique where that if I have to push a little bit more, I lose it. Not any more.”
He believes he is “running better than I have run for the last four years” ahead of the 100m T64, having won bronze in the event in Tokyo last time out.
Referencing the previous Paralympics, Peacock said: “I’m still annoyed from three years ago. I get an opportunity to rectify that mistake.
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Each sport is broken down into subcategories giving athletes the chance to compete on equal terms with those who have a similar impairment.
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“I will be going in there, going to war, and I’ll be ready to fight and hopefully all my competitors are ready because there is going to be a battle.
“This is my fourth time and it’s also my fourth time contesting. Every other athlete in that field, it’s only going to be their second time. I also have experience with 80,000 people going mad.
“Whether they will be going quite as mad for me remains to be seen, but I am super excited for that and I am really looking forward to get into that stadium and feeling what it’s like.
“The pressure for me is part of my toolkit. The more pressure you give me, the faster I run. I know that not all of my competitors can say that.”
