A RE-PEATY FOR ADAM!
OLYMPIC champion Adam Peaty produced a stunning win in the 100metres breaststroke final at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest yesterday. Peaty’s 57.47sec means he now has the 10 fastest times in history at the distance as he retained the title he won in Russia two years ago. The 22-year-old said: ‘I’m 1.5 seconds ahead of the rest of the world, I’m happy.’
PROJeCT 56 remains a mere aspiration but in Budapest came yet another reminder of the devastating talent of Olympic champion adam Peaty.
The 22-year- old’s long-term goal is to break the 56- second mark for the 100m breaststroke — an aim he only this week insisted is ‘achievable, whether it’s here or in three years’.
as it transpired, Peaty was unable to break the world record of 57.13s that he set in Rio last summer, but his superiority was such that he set a World Championship record as he defended his world title yesterday.
Peaty stormed to gold in devastating fashion, a remarkable 1.32secs ahead of his closest rival, Kevin Cordes of the United states.
Peaty swam 100m in 57.47s to Cordes 58.79s, while Russian Kirill Prigoda claimed bronze in 59.05s.
Remarkably, Peaty now has all 10 of the top fastest times in the world in the event. In the last three years, he has won breaststroke golds at the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games and european Championships. Peaty said: ‘We aim for world records each year but they are world records for a reason. That performance at the Olympics was completely different to that swim.’ Peaty added: ‘We have done a lot of speedwork this year. I was happy to come here and attack my title and I felt like a little boy again going out into the crowd. I came from the bottom to the top through hard work and dedication. If you are a young kid watching this, you can be in the Olympics — don’t let anything stop you.’
Peaty will race in the 50m breastroke today, as he seeks to defend his world title in that as well. There was double joy for Great Britain as Ben Proud (left) took the 50m butterfly title with a time of 22.75s. The 22-year-old triumphed by 0.04s ahead of Brazil’s Nicholas santos.
‘I am on the verge of tears,’ said Proud, who won Commonwealth gold in 2014 in the 50m butterfly and 50 metre freestyle. ‘It has been a dream since I was six years old.’
TV: LIVE on BBC2, 4.30-6pm.