Witness Adam Peaty Making 58.74 100 Breaststroke Semi Look Routine

2016 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Monday, May 16th – Sunday, May 22nd
• Prelims: 10:00 AM (London Time) / 5:00 AM (Eastern Time)
• Finals: 6:00 PM (London Time) / 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)
• London Aquatics Center, London, UK
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream

As originally reported by Loretta Race:

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – SEMI-FINAL

Top 8:

1. Adam Peaty (GBR), 58.74
2. Ross Murdoch (GBR), 59.67
3. Giedrius Titenis (LTU), 59.99
4. Damir Dugonjic (SLO), 1:00.06
5 Andrea Toniato (ITA), 1:00.48
6. Panagiotis Samilidis (GRE), 1:00.59
7. Anton Sveinn McKee (ISL), 1:00.98
8. Yannick Kaeser (SUI), 1:01.13

It certainly speaks to the depth of British breaststrokers that 2 of its would-be semi-finalists had to sit out tonight’s race due to the ‘2 per country rule.’ Craig Benson and Callum Tait finished within the top 18, but Adam Peaty and Ross Murdoch already nabbed the spots for GBR.

And represent their teammates they did in spades, as Peaty, the current World Record Holder in this event, notched yet another sub-59-second outing. 58.74 is how Peaty made the race look easy tonight, touching almost a full second over countryman Murdoch from the University of Stirling. Murdoch was still impressive with a 59.67 mark tonight, only slightly off his OLY-qualifying swim of 59.31 from British Trials.

Lithuania’s Giedrius Titenis, the defending European Championship bronze medalist in this sprint event, was also under a minute tonight, albeit by just 01 of a second. He holds the 3rd seed in 1:00.06. Iceland’s Anton Sveinn McKee is hanging in there as the 7th seed with a time of 1:00.98. He holds the Icelandic National Record in 1:00.53, so look for him to make a move up the rankings toward a possible new national mark during tomorrow’s final.