Reigning Olympic champion and world record-holder Adam Peaty topped the podium twice at the recent British Swimming Championships, clocking respective times of 26.91 and 58.58. The efforts rendered the 27-year-old the 6th fastest 50m performer and 3rd fastest 100m performer in the world this season.
Sitting above Peaty in his signature 100m distance is Dutchman Arno Kamminga, the only other man in history to have delved under the 58-second barrier in the event. This season, Kamminga has put up a world-leading 58.52 while Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi has also been super quick in 58.57.
Along with his British national teammates, Peaty has a packed schedule this summer, starting off with the Mare Nostrum circuit in May, then the World Championships in late June, followed by the Commonwealth Games in July and finally capped off by the European Championships on the books for August.
In his own YouTube channel’s video documenting one of his first training sessions back in the pool after the British Championships, Peaty says that he will be focusing his energy on the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.
“It’s a funny season because we have Worlds, but then obviously next year there’s also a Worlds.
“I’d rather maximize my Commonwealths and Europeans, then take a break, then focus on next year’s Worlds, then take a break then the Olympics.”
Peaty pointing to the summer’s later meets as his primary targets may open the door for the aforementioned Kamminga to potentially put a stop to Peaty’s 100m breaststroke reign.
The Briton has won the World Championships (LCM) title at the last 3 editions of the typically-biannual meet, while Kamminga has been on fire since finishing in 13th place at both the 2017 and 2019 World Championships.
The 26-year-old Dutchman has consistently wreaked havoc on the European Championships scene but he took his career to the next level by capturing silvers in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke races in Tokyo at the 2020 Olympic Games.
As mentioned, Kamminga has been the next fastest man of all time behind Peaty, owning a lifetime best of 57.80 from the Tokyo prelims. He had already been 57.90 in Eindhoven just a few months prior.
There are other contenders such as Martinenghi, China’s Yan Zibei, and America’s Michael Andrew, in hot pursuit of Peaty. However, Kamminga’s track record of consistently putting up 58-point results in a time when Peaty may not be fully rested may prove to be just the backdrop needed to see a new world champion rise.
Watched the race ,after coming off dancing on Ice with no training definitely no taper . 58.58 was probably his best swim for yrs ,taking into account he has done nothing . Coming in 3rd fastest this year says summat to me .When on form and put the meters in ,plus taper and then a big race ,can see the 100 m Breaststroke WR coming in at 55-56 this year. You can bet Project Immortal is something that he wants to last ,good luck to all the swimmers ,from an old X competitive swimmer from 🇬🇧
peaty is awesome and amazing and all but he has a kid now. Things get harder as a dad. Less sleep, less time to do you. Curious to see how this affects his performances
Have a watch of Brett Hawke’s interview with Mel Marshall. It’s interesting how they’ve decided to handle this aspect. It’s a great interview.
Watch out for Martinenghi.
Over the 50m I think he has a big chance, not so sure over the longer distance
If Adam is smashing out a 58.58 after hardly no training and definitely no taper then Kamminga,Andrew, Martienghi, Wilby, just looking who’s coming on 2nd 3rd 4th to be brutally honest. He’s got maybe a year or two to finish his Project Immortal or Smash some new world records . I personally think he wants to put the 100Breast at around a 55.5- 56.00. Then he has left an imprint on world Swimming ,bit like Micheal Phelps 400 IM world Record , It will take somespecial will break that 4.03
Have a lovely week
He had 7 swims faster than any other human has ever managed in 2021 alone. He had the largest winning margin of any swimmer in a 100m race in Tokyo (0.63s). Still, the narrative is how vulnerable he is due to age, up against a man a whole 11 months younger.
Perhaps he is now “beatable” – But he is still, by some way, the most likely winner should he turn up close to optimal form, and I see no reason he wouldn’t.
The 100m margin was huge too. The second biggest margin in a 100 was Emma McKeon by 0.31 which is less than half of Peaty’s margin.
Peaty could definitely be vulnerable but I’m not concerned about him. We now have swimmers from Aus, Canada, RSA and UK saying that they are not prioritising Worlds. I think that says a lot more about these Worlds than about the swimmers.
Also split faster in the medley relay than he ever has.
Adam hasn’t been beaten in the long course 100 meters in 8 years, Peaty knows how to win races, he beat a fully tapered Kamminga at Europeans last year while in heavy training, plus with Martinenghi at risk of DQ’ing himself with his fly kicks I think Adam is continuing his run, but he’s certainly under more threat than ever before. And people think because a few Aussies won’t be in Budapest it will be boring…
Last year, he went 57.39 at Trials when he was in heavy training and then 57.37 tapered in Tokyo.
Peaty is never tapered right ? 🤣🤣🤣
It’s not looking great for him this year. At trials he was 58 mid, which way slower than what he was last year. 🤷♂️🤷♂️
Btw, Chlorine Daddy will make your Jacob look pedestrian come Paris. 😉
Hardly a valid point. One thing we know from Tokyo is that with morning finals the ‘times’ there were largely irrelevant and certainly not comparable to anything else, except maybe Beijing from 2008… LOL. !!
Bet against Peaty at your peril….
He knows he is beatable at this point and making excuses already.
He is human for God’s sake
I thought he was immortal?
Retta, he will get beat at Worlds and Europeans by Kamminga.
It’s not about him focusing or not. He knows he’s past his peak age ( between 21 and 26 for 95% of the sprinters ) and he knows that others are very close to him and they‘re more hungry ( MA, Nicolo and Arno ).
Good tactic though to take the pressure off himself and manipulate the audience. Lol 🤣🤣
Well he must still be pretty good if he did a time faster than anyone else has gone before in Tokyo while being “past his peak”
He was preselected
Has swimswam reached out to Adam peaty?