OUT OF THIS WORLD
Peaty bounces back from heartache on the Gold Coast and sets his sights on Project 56
IT was all decided in the blink of an eye. The key to Adam Peaty’s sensational world record in the European Championships last night was not the 57 seconds it took him to complete the 100 metres breaststroke. It was, rather, the four hundredths of a second that separated him from Cameron van der Burgh on the other side of the world in April.
Peaty was second on the Gold Coast. It is not a position he relishes. He came into Glasgow with the vow that his appetite for victory had been restored. He devoured his opposition last night with the voracity and speed of a particularly narked shark.
The 23-year-old Englishman — a winner of five world titles and an Olympic gold — became a ten-time European champion after finishing in another postcode from his competitors. His fellow Briton, James Wilby was 1.54 seconds behind in second, with Anton Chupkov of Russia (58.96) in third.
Peaty’s only authentic rival now is time. The only man to go below 58 seconds in the event, he has long set his sights on Project 56, his attempt to break the 57-second barrier. It was only a fingertip away last night.
‘That is the curse of Project 56,’ he joked as he reflected on yet another extraordinary performance.
‘But it is all about two years’ time and the Olympics for me.’
Peaty, who demoralised his opponents by surging clear in the second 50 metres, added: ‘I knew I was in great shape. The plan was to go out and make a statement.’
That statement found a huge echo in the raucous roar from the crowd that greeted a moment in swimming history.
If the Tollcross arena in Glasgow shuddered, Peaty admitted it was the event of the Gold Coast that had a significant impact.
‘It was all about passion and emotion and it was the letdown of the Commonwealth Games that fuelled me down that final straight,’ he said.
‘I don’t want to just win. I want to dominate. That is not me being arrogant, that is the competitive side in me.’
Peaty went four years in elite swimming without losing a race until that fateful day in the 50m breaststroke in the Gold Coast and he admitted it was a wake-up call.
‘It is like anything, you get complacent, even if you do not want to admit it to yourself,’ he said.
The world record, he said, was a surprise. ‘I didn’t train too hard for this,’ added Peaty.
‘I must have got the balance right between training smart and training too hard.’
Wilby was gracious in defeat to such a champion. The 24-year-old Englishman said: ‘Before I started putting myself on the big teams, in 2015, I was next to Adam when he first did the world record in the 100.
‘It’s always nice when I do a good time as well — and him breaking the world record makes it extra special.’
The view of Peaty drawing away from him had consolations. ‘It’s good to see a team-mate do well,’ he added. ‘We’re both based in Loughborough and it’s good to see him putting in good performances. Seeing him do that does motivate me, but individually we’ve all got our own targets.’
Peaty’s targets now move into the realms of Project 56 and Glasgow 2018 seems to have revitalised him. At the end of the historic race, he splashed in celebration with the abandon of a child in a kindergarten pool.
He said: ‘Deep down, I was born to race.’
He is destined, too, to make history.
BRITISH swimmer Adam Peaty set a new world record last night to win gold at the European Championships in Glasgow.
The 23-year-old shaved 0.13 seconds off his own record to retain his 100 metre breaststroke title at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre with a time of 57 seconds.
Peaty is already the world and Olympic champion in the event.
He took a massive lead on the first 50 metres before he pulled away further to finish 1.54 seconds ahead of fellow Englishman James Wilby, who claimed silver.
‘I can’t believe I beat what I did at the Olympics,’ said Peaty.
‘I was in perfect shape then – I’m not even in that good shape now.’