Adam Peaty Back On Top Of Podium, Books European & Commonwealth Slots With Victory At British Championships
Adam Peaty topped the 100m breaststroke in 58.97 on day one of the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships to book tickets for the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships.
Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: Morgan Harlow/Aquatics GB
The triple Olympic champion was in the same lane four in which he set his first world record back in April 2015 when he became the first man to break 57secs.
Out in 27.48 and back in 31.49, the eight-time world champion hit the wall first ahead of world junior champion Filip Nowacki who clinched the second slot for the Europeans in Paris in 59.39 with Max Morgan third in 59.36, the 18-year-old posting an age group record and swifter than either Peaty or Nowacki at his age.
Peaty will represent Team England at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer, 12 years after he first announced himself on the international stage at the 2014 Games at the same venue.
“It feels very good,” he said. “It’s great to race those boys, they’re a lot younger than me so they can obviously spring it a lot faster, but I did the job there and now it’s about debriefing and seeing where we can go from here.
“It’s an incredible event, and it’s been the perfect day really. I didn’t think I could get that result so that’s now the marker, that’s the baseline, so how do we turn that into a low 57 again. For me, I’m a racer, and I just want to extract the best of myself.”
A slot at the Europeans is also his should he so desire although he was uncertain telling former teammate Dan Jervis on poolside: “cos of last time … hopefully I won’t get Covid this time” – referring to Paris 2024 where he fell 0.02 shy of a third straight title and later tested positive for Covid-19.
He added: “Of course, Paris is a stepping stone and I want to do well, but LA is the big one for me,”
Nowacki will represent Jersey in Glasgow got the second slot for Europeans while Morgan will race in Scotland and has his 50 crown to defend later this week.
Guy Rattles British Record At 31
James Guy rattled his British 400 free record in 3:44.04 to book trips to Paris and Glasgow. At 31, it’s 12 years since Guy won 400 bronze at the 2014 Commonwealths behind Ryan Cochrane and David McKeon.
James Guy: Picture Courtesy: British Swimming
Since then, the Manchester Performance Centre swimmer has won three Olympic and six world titles and his 13-strong Commonwealth haul could well be extended this summer.
Guy set his 3:43.75 British record en-route to silver behind Sun Yang at the 2015 worlds in Kazan and on Tuesday he swam from lane seven after finishing sixth in prelims.
He went out hard to come home in the third fastest of his career – and swiftest since 2016 – to book tickets to Glasgow and Paris.
Jack McMillan who’ll represent Northern Ireland in Glasgow and who clocked 3:46.82 for Paris consideration was next home with Tyler Melbourne-Smith, of Team Wales, third in 3:47.17.
Okaro Breaks 54Secs Barrier
Eva Okaro cracked 54secs for the first time in the 100 free in 53.75 although it was just shy of automatic qualification for the individual in Paris.
Now a member of the University of Texas cohort, Okaro will also head to Glasgow as part of Team England.
“It was really fun,” she said. “It hurt a lot; I wasn’t expecting to get that time but it was a good race. I didn’t think I was going to qualify sixth, my swim this morning wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be, so I thought sprint a fast 50, be ahead and then see what I can hold on the way back.”
Eva Okaro: Photo by Morgan Harlow/Aquatics GB
University of Stirling’s Evie Davies also broke 54 in 53.99 with Freya Colbert (54.02) and Freya Anderson (54.19) securing a relay berth for Great Britain in Paris.
The first race of the championships saw Keanna Macinnes and Emily Richards book tickets for Glasgow and Paris.
Macinnes, coached by Ben Higson at the University of Stirling, was third at the final turn before going past Richards and Ciara Schlosshan to win in 2:07.02. Richards was second in 2:07.70 with Schlosshan third in 2:08,68.
Imogen Clark won the 50m breaststroke, her time of 30.69 marginally outside of automatic qualification for Paris, with Anna Morgan (30.69) and Gabrielle Idle-Beavers (30.83) finishing in second and third place respectively.
In the Mixed Classification events, it was Sam Downie (S8) who swam to first place in the Men’s MC 400m Freestyle, followed by Kieran Williams (S10) and Max Davies (S8). Bruce Dee (SB6) was victorious in the Men’s MC 100m Breaststroke, with Harry Stewart (SB14) and Kai Bradford (SB8) in third. Race favourite Poppy Maskill (S14) won the Women’s MC 100m Freestyle, with Bethany Firth (S14) finishing in second and Georgia Sheffield (S14) finishing in third place.
