Great Britain’s Adam Peaty has crashed onto the world scene this year, and his rise continued at the European Championships today. Peaty crushed his semifinal swim of the 50 breaststroke to break the world record in the event.
Just 19 years old, Peaty won gold in the 100 breast at the Commonwealth Games, upsetting South African World Record-holder Cameron van der Burgh. Peaty lost to van der Burgh in the 50 breast, but clearly put a scare into the record there as well in taking silver. But in Berlin, Peaty finally broke through with his first world record, going 26.62 to take five one-hundredths off of van der Burgh’s former world mark.
That came in the semifinals, meaning Peaty has another opportunity to lower the mark tomorrow. There’s a bit of speculation that Peaty was somewhat long into his finish, which could be one area to cut even more time. Still, judging by Peaty’s 100, where he rattled the world record in the semis but went slower in finals, it’s hard to put too many further expectations on the Brit.
What’s clear though is that Peaty is the clear gold medal favorite, qualifying six tenths faster than anyone else in the field. If he can stay hot for another year, the rematch between he and Van der Burgh at the 2015 World Championships could be an absolute dogfight. Van der Burgh won’t have a chance to put up his own impressive swim for awhile, as he is among the large group of South African stars sitting out of Pan Pacs this week.
Peaty swims for the City of Derby under coach Melanie Marshall, according to the British Swimming website.
How on Earth can he swim 50 breast in 26 seconds??!!??!!
Peaty is the next big thing in the breaststroke, he stroke is so powerful to watch and he just gets stronger in the race.
Leading candidate for Male SOY so far…
i think the only candidate unless yang pulls great times at ASG
I love watching his stroke. The power is outrageous. Wow!
He just pulls away the last fifteen yards or so, that was nuts.
Halfway through the race I honestly thought “damn, apparently the whole heat’s gonna be close to the WR?” because of how close it was. Dude just flat took off. (Or just slowed down less than everyone else, if I remember how the 100m dash works in track.)
opposite in the 100m dash actually, they are accelerating most of the race (prior to Bolt’s absurd 100m world records the 200m dash record was faster than the 100m time doubled)
swimmers are fastest off the blocks though so it’s a matter of minimizing deceleration
He looks like a toddler. Oh my God I feel so old help, someone help.
Looks like Britain has there own “Kevin Cordes” now. And he seems to know how to not get DQ’ed in his races.
Except he is faster than Cordes
Yup Yup.
His glide at the end was insane!! He could have been tenths faster! Also for anyone who didn’t catch this, you could make him out saying “what the f**k” after the race :). If some of his techniques were improved he’d blow away records.
http://www.sportschau.de/schwimmem/videohalbfinalsuebermeterbrustdermaenner102.html
Adam Peaty breaks the world record even with a slight technical mistake on his finish,(glide). He’s in the second semifinal….