Peaty targets clean sweep after leading relay squad home

European record falls as mixed team win gold Silver for Archibald in the women’s omnium

Adam Peaty has his mind set on a clean sweep in the pool after bringing home another gold on another medal-strewn evening for Great Britain’s swimmers at Tollcross.

Peaty was part of the 4x100metre mixed medley relay team who stormed to gold in the final race at the European Championships. The quartet of Peaty, Georgia Davies, Freya Anderson and James Guy set a European record with a stunning performance that left the rest of the pool trailing in their wake, eventually coming home in a time of 3min 40.18sec.

It was the fourth medal of the evening for Team GB, with Alys Thomas (200m butterfly), Max Litchfield (200 individual medley) and James Wilby (200m breaststroke) claiming two bronze medals and a silver respectively – though there was disappointment for defending champion Ross Murdoch, who was edged off the podium in the breaststroke.

Peaty returns to the pool today in the men’s 50m and will compete later in the week in the men’s 4x100m medley, and he has his eyes set on defending the titles he won in London two years ago.

“That’s always been on my mind,” he admitted. “It would be nice to defend all my titles, but I’m taking it stroke by stroke, event by event. I’ve got to step up on Wednesday and Thursday night.”

Peaty produced an outstanding leg after taking over from Davies to put GB within distance of the lead, before Guy and Anderson made sure of a clear victory over Russia and Italy, who completed the top three, but he admitted he was holding back with an eye on the 50m heats.

“I’m in the 50, which is why I’ve been managing my energy,” he said. “I don’t want too much of a high Just champion: Britain’s 4x100m mixed medley team with their medals

because I know I will hit rock bottom in the morning.”

The preliminary round earlier in the day marked the first time the Uttoxeter swimmer had returned to the pool after his 100m world record had been adjusted by 0.10sec, but he was unperturbed by the news. He said: “The world record stands and that is all that matters to me. I haven’t broken it by that much, but it means next time it becomes a little bit easier to break. Mistakes happen in all sports. There is no benefit in being sulky about it or spreading negativity.”

Cyclist Katie Archibald won her second medal in Glasgow, but was forced to settle for silver in the women’s omnium. The 24-year-old was eclipsed by Dutch world champion Kirsten Wild, who stretched her initial two-point lead to win by 12 in the concluding points race.

Archibald’s silver medal added to the gold she won as part of the women’s team pursuit squad.

Archibald will get a chance of a third and final medal when she teams up with Laura Kenny in the madison today. She said: “I don’t think my legs were that terrible, but I was just not quite good enough – me and Laura are still a fairly formidable team.”

Fellow Brits Ethan Hayter and Ollie Wood took bronze in the men’s madison behind Belgium and Germany. Hayter said: “We missed a couple of opportunities and were a bit scared to attack by ourselves.”

There was no medal for Paisleyborn Jack Carlin, who was edged out in the race for men’s sprint bronze by Holland’s Harrie Lavreysen.