Peaty’s still greedy after a third gold

ADAM Peaty insists his exploits in Glasgow have set him up for a fresh assault on his own world-record times next year after surging to his third gold medal at the European Championships.

Peaty washed away memories of his shock defeat on the Gold Coast in April as he won the men’s 50m breaststroke title ahead of second-placed Fabio Scozzoli who finished almost threequarters of a second behind.

Peaty’s winning time of 26.09 may not have threatened his existing worldrecord mark but it did shave over half a second off the time with which he surprisingly had to settle for silver at the Commonwealth Games.

And it was still a strong enough showing to suggest to Peaty – who has already broken his own 100m record at these Games and goes for another relay title tomorrow – that he can breach new boundaries at next year’s World Championships in Gwangju.

Peaty said: “Execution-wise I was probably a nine-and-a-half out of 10, but for the race itself I would give myself 10 out of 10.

“I missed a few strokes which maybe cost me but I don’t think even then I’d have got the world record.

“But it’s looking very strong for next year – very good technique-wise and powerwise, and I’m looking forward to getting around that mark in South Korea.”

Buoyant Peaty has cut a contrasting figure in Glasgow to the somewhat afflicted swimmer who struggled by his own standards on the Gold Coast. He will bid for a fourth and final gold in the men’s 100m medley relay today.

Rio silver medallist SiobhanMarie O’Connor finished in a disappointing fourth place in the women’s 200m individual medley in a time of 2:10.17 behind winner Katinka Hosszu of Hungary.

And 17-year-old Freya Anderson also finished fourth in the women’s 100m freestyle final behind Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden, but set a new European junior record of 53.61 in the process.

There was more diving success for Great Britain as Grace Reid and Ross Haslam teamed up to take silver in the mixed synchronised 3m springboard in Edinburgh.