SWIMMING Peaty breaks 50 breast record at world championship
He's done it again.
Britain's Adam Peaty set a world record of 26.10 seconds in the preliminaries of the men's 50-meter breaststroke at the world championships on Tuesday.
Peaty, who won gold in the 100 breaststroke on Monday, shaved 0.32 of a second off the record he had previously set at the previous worlds in Kazan, Russia, two years ago.
"I was quite relaxed. I wasn't going out there this morning for a world record, just going out there to race and qualify for the semis," said the 22-year-old Briton, who added that it was "quite early (in the morning) for a world record. But I'm very happy with that swim."
Peaty is bidding to be the first man to retain the 50 breaststroke title at a worlds, and he wasn't surprised to beat his previous best-mark.
"That world record is two years old. It was kind of due another push on," said Peaty, still buzzing after Monday's gold. "Last night gave me the confidence. I was out in 26.5 and I was like, 'This is so easy.' I can definitely push on for a 50.' That didn't really feel like my best race."
Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa was next fastest in the non-Olympic event, a significant 0.44 behind.
It's the second world record set at this year's championships after Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom established a split of 51.71 in the women's 4x100 free relay on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Olympic and world champion Katie Ledecky eased to victory in her heat of the women's 200 freestyle, clocking 1:56.27, two tenths of a second slower than world record holder Federica Pellegrini, who finished ahead of home favorite Katinka Hosszu in their heat.