2019 British C’ships: Peaty’s 58.50 Was Kicked Off By Head-Turning 26.90 Opener

2019 BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, April 16th – Sunday, April 21st
• Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow, Scotland
• Prelims at 10am local (5am Eastern)/Finals at 6:30pm local (1:30pm Eastern)
• DRAFT – Start List
• British 2019 World Championships Selection Policy
• British 2019 World and European Junior Championships Selection Policy
• British 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival Selection Policy
• SwimSwam Selection Analysis
• SwimSwam Elite Men Preview/SwimSwam Elite Women Preview
• SwimSwam Emerging Women Preview/SwimSwam Emerging Men Preview
• Final Start Lists
• Day 1 Prelims Recap
• Live Stream
• Live Results

We’re used to seeing eye-popping swims from Olympic gold medalist and World Record holder Adam Peaty in the men’s breaststroke events, but this morning was an especially impressive display of power by the British Lion.

Firing off the fastest 100m breast time of the morning in 58.50 at the British Swimming Championships, Peaty’s time checks-in as the 18th fastest performance in history and sets the 25-year-old up nicely to take the British national title and qualify for this summer’s World Championships.

What was especially notable about his morning performance however, was the fact the man opened in a wicked-fast 26.90. That is remarkably quick, even by Peaty’s standards, given his previous season-best of 58.73 started off with a 27.25 at the Edinburgh International Meet this past March. There, Peaty also took the men’s 50m breast gold, in a time of 26.99, slower than his opening 50 this orning.

For additional perspective, a 26.90 would have taken the bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the bronze at the 2018 European Championships and would have finished 6th at the 2017 World Championships.

After his race, Peaty stated, I’m very happy with my progress this morning – I didn’t want anything special, just enough to make it back tonight in lane 4.

“We’ve worked on it [my dive] relentlessly – in the past we’ve worked on it hard in terms of effort, but now we’re matching that up with sports scientists and I owe a massive thank you to them. They’re the brains behind the whole dive and the pull out and it’s great to have such a supportive team around me.”

Peaty is on target for an other-worldly performance, whether it be during tonight’s final or in Gwangju this summer.

From this morning’s prelims recap:

Men’s 100m Breast – Prelims

• Selection Time #1 – 59.19, Selection Time #2 – 59.92
• British National Record – 57.10, Adam Peaty (World Record), 2018

Open Top 8:

Making it look easy once again was Olympic champion, World champion and World Record holder Adam Peaty, who punched the wall in a mighty 58.50 this morning. Although he’ll need to repeat the feat tonight to make it official, Peaty’s morning time marks the first clocking under a British Selection Time #1, the strictest of the qualifying criteria.

Runner-up in the heats was Scottish national record holder and 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Ross Murdoch, who was also under 1:00 in 59.33. That ties Murdoch’s 6th fastest time of his career and sets him up nicely to put down something special this evening.  Murdoch’s time now inserts the Scot into the season world rankings as 6th fastest swimmer.

Murdoch’s Stirling partner in crime, Craig Benson, was in action as well, claiming the 3rd seed in 1:00.00, while Loughborough ace James Wilby is next in line as the 4th seed in 1:00.27. Wilby already nailed a world-class mark of 59.23 at this year’s Edinburgh International.