Three-time Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty sustained a facial injury in a scuffle with fellow Team GB athlete Luke Greenbank, the PA news agency understands.

Peaty, 28, got involved in a fracas with Greenbank at the British Swimming training centre in Loughborough last Friday. The incident is understood to have occurred following a comment Peaty made to Greenbank.

Peaty, who holds the world record for the 50 metres and 100m breaststroke, did not require any stitches for the injury he suffered, with sources close to the matter describing it as “something and nothing”.

British Swimming issued a statement which read: “An incident occurred at a recent training session that was quickly and effectively resolved by the athletes involved and the staff present at the session.”

Peaty and Greenbank are understood to have shaken hands after the incident occurred.

Peaty withdrew from the British Championships in April citing mental health issues and later admitted he had been on a “self-destructive spiral”.

He told BBC Breakfast in May that he remained hopeful of competing at next year’s Paris Olympics, but that competing and succeeding in France would not solve his issues.

“A good friend of mine said a gold medal is the coldest thing you will ever wear. It’s the coldest thing because you think it will fix all of your problems. It will not,” he said.