Record breaker
Adam Peaty sets new world best in 100m breaststroke
In his first taste of the Olympics, world champion Adam Peaty yet again demonstrated that he is the man for the big occasion by smashing his own 100 metres breaststroke world record in a remarkable time of 57.55 sec.
Astonishingly that was set in his heats, when swimmers are supposed to save something in the tank for the semi-finals, which were taking place in the early hours of the this morning. The 21-year-old from Uttoxeter showed scant regard for convention or indeed for his old world record of 57.93 sec set last year in London. To lower a record by a margin of 0.37 sec in swimming is the equivalent of Usain Bolt dipping under 9.6 seconds for the first time, yet there were no wild celebrations from Peaty in what was probably the greatest ever Olympic debut swim. Instead a mere thumbs-up at a job well done was sufficient with a promise of more to come in the semi-finals and the final.
“I was in the cool room and thought let’s give this a shot,” Peaty said. “As soon as I walked in, it is fight or flight and I chose to get something out of it. That’s what it is. You can either be shy of the arena or take advantage of it.”
The crowd at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium had already witnessed Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu come within a finger tip of a world record in the 400m individual medley so fast times were clearly in the offing. As soon as Peaty set off it was clear that something special was in the offing. Traditionally a slow starter from the blocks, Peaty’s reaction time of 0.55 sec was one of the fastest in the afternoon heats. By the turn, he was well clear of the field including compatriot Ross Murdoch and was 0.35 sec under world-record pace.
“Going down that first 50m I knew I was fast and I knew I turned fast,” Peaty said. “But it was not until 25m to go when the crowd started going off that I thought there’s no Brazilians in this race so they have got to be shouting for something. It is great and hopefully the semi-finals will be even faster.
“Hopefully tonight I am going to feel a lot better and feel a lot faster. Me and Mel Marshall, my coach, are not going to get too complacent and are going to keep striving, keep pushing the boundaries and see where that gets us. That’s what Mel has mentored me to do. I have spoken to Beccy [Adlington] quite a few times about what the Olympics is like but no one can describe what it is like until you have been in there. I am absolutely amazed just to race against the best in the world.”
Assuming nothing untoward happens in the semi-finals then tonight Peaty seems destined to deliver the first gold medal by a British male swimmer since Adrian Moorhouse in 1988. No one came close to him. Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki was second fastest in the heats and girlfriend, Anna, but has made a in a time of 58.91 sec. Effectively every- point of keeping communication to a one else is fighting for second place, minimum while he is in his “zone”. including Cameron van der Burgh, the Instead he will spend most of Sunday current Olympic champion, who was listening to his favourite grime artists way back on 59.35 sec. – Jaykae, Skepta, Stormzy – and watching
Peaty had promised as much. Speaking earlier this year, Peaty said: “I want to set a target that most people can’t even think of doing.” Only a brave man would doubt him. No one else has been under 58secs and Peaty now owns he five fastest times in this event. His mother, Caroline, had boarded her first ever flight to be in the stands for the occasion along with his father, Mark,
box sets of Two and a Half Men and Modern Family before it is time to get into race mode. After last year becom- ing the first British man in 40 years to win the 100m breaststroke at the World Championships, Peaty is now on the trail of Moorhouse, although that was six years before he was born.
When asked in the build-up whether that conferred any extra weight on his shoulders, Peaty replied: “That’s irrelevant. What happened 28 years ago and hasn’t happened since is another reason for confidence.” Pressure, he has said, is an excuse for under-performance. Instead, Peaty only views opportunity: opportunity for personal glory but just as importantly to inspire a new generation to start swimming.
“At the end of the day, I want to inspire thousands if not millions of kids out there to take up sport,” he said. “It does not matter what country you are from. I did not have the best place when I was younger to take up sport and be the best in the world, but I have worked hard every single day and here I am in an Olympic Games. Hopefully those kids at home watching the Games will get a moment like I had four years ago to switch on and put the hard work into the next Olympics.”
‘We are not going to get complacent, we will keep pushing the boundaries and see where that gets us’