FFN GOLDEN TOUR – MARSEILLE
- Friday, March 4th – Sunday, March 6th
- Marseille, France
- LCM (50m)
- Day 1 Recap
- Live Results
It appears that British Olympic champion Adam Peaty may be making good on his soft commitment to race the men’s 200m breaststroke at this year’s British Championships.
As preparation, the 27-year-old just raced this ‘off event’ at the FFN Golden Tour stop in Marseille tonight, putting up a time of 2:14.48.
That result rendered him the 4th place finisher behind the podium comprised of Austrian Christopher Rothbauer (2:10.79), Great Britain’s Greg Butler (2:11.56) and Austrian Luka Mladenovic (2:13.62).
After posting a morning swim of 2:16.84 to make it into the final as the 6th-seeded swimmer, Peaty split 1:03.89/1:10.59 to hit the 2:14.48. His opening split marked the 3rd fastest of the field.
As we reported, Peaty said earlier this year, “I’m going to probably swim the 200m at trials, just to see how it goes.”
“That will be like an expedition race. I’ve no idea what time I will do. I’ve not done the 200m at trials since 2016 when I went out in 59 seconds and came back in a coffin!”
Peaty owns a personal best 200m breast time of 2:08.34, a mark he put up at the 2015 British Swimming Championships. That performance renders him GBR’s 5th fastest performer to date in the event.
The 2016 swim to which Peaty referred to landed him a much slower result of 2:11.71, comprised of the painful splits of 1:00.68/1:11.03. As such, the fact he was a more measured 1:03 on the front half may point to his trying out a different strategy as he gets the feel again for this longer distance.
Aside from 50 free specialists, has there ever been a swimmer who was so dominant in an event so specific — 100 LCM — but beatable in SCM or at other distances? He is the ultimate one-trick pony. Damn good trick mind you.
Aliya Atkinson maybe?
Not the 214 💀
“I’ve not done the 200m at trials since 2016 when I went out in 59 seconds and came back in a coffin!”. Not sure why but I laughed quite a bit at this
because we’ve all been there! (coming back in a coffin, not going out in 59)