Adam Peaty Goes 58.22 In Morning Finals; Laura Stephens Inside 200 Fly Cut Again In Glasgow
Olympic champion Adam Peaty went 58.22 for a time over 100 breaststroke only he and Arno Kamminga have bettered and Laura Stephens backed up her rankings-rattling 200 fly heat swim to once more go inside the Tokyo consideration time at the British Swimming Glasgow Meet.
Max Litchfield dominated the 400IM in 4:12.81, Duncan Scott won the 200 free in 1:46.02 with Cameron Kurle once more staking a claim for the 4×200 relay and Molly Renshaw took the 100 breaststroke title.
There will though be no fourth Games for Hannah Miley who was well outside the consideration time in the 400IM as she finished behind winner Abbie Wood.
The meet at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre mirrors the Olympic schedule of evening heats and morning finals and concludes on Sunday.
Peaty All Quality, Consistency And Domination
Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
Peaty completed the quadruple quadruple in Budapest, meaning he has now won four gold medals at each of the last four European Championships.
The Briton hasn’t been beaten over 100m since he announced himself on the international stage at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Until April he was the only man to have gone inside 58secs until Kamminga crashed through the barrier in 57.90.
Peaty, who is coached by Mel Marshall at the Loughborough National Training Centre, split 27.14/30.98 to post his fifth-fastest time of the season.
Behind him in his slipstream came European bronze medallist James Wilby (1:00.05) and Ross Murdoch (1:00.31), who won 2015 world bronze.
2021 Top 10 Times
57.39; Adam Peaty, British National Championships
57.66; Adam Peaty, European Championships
57.67; Adam Peaty, European Championships
57.70; Adam Peaty, British National Championships
57.90; Arno Kamminga, Netherlands Team Time Trials
58.10; Arno Kamminga, European Championships
58.22; Adam Peaty, British Swimming Glasgow Meet
58.26; Adam Peaty, European Championships
58.37; Nicolo Martinenghi, Italian Championships
58.45; Nicolo Martinenghi, European Championships
Peaty said:
“That was a really good time. I thought if I could get to 58-mids here, with no crowd and not such a big atmosphere, I could do it anywhere.
“That would nearly have won Europeans and I’m on my backside. It’s looking good.
“The stroke feels strong, training’s going well, mentally I’m in a great place. But going into the Olympics, a lot changes, so I just want to maintain consistency now, enjoy the ride, all the work is pretty much done, so it’s just tuning up now and putting on a good show.
“I always want a smooth stroke. Everything is pointing towards going near a PB, a world record, but it’s never as simple as that. We’ll go back to training, see what we’ve got and enjoy it.”
Sarah Vasey and Renshaw will compete in the 100br in Tokyo and it was the former who led at halfway in 31.68 with Kara Hanlon in second.
The 200 specialist Renshaw, who set the British record of 1:06.21 in Budapest, came back on the second 50 and in the final metres she and Vasey were stroke for stroke.
Renshaw, who has the most beautiful of long strokes, spotted the touch in 1:07.45, 0.10 ahead of Vasey (1:07.55) with Hanlon third in 1:08.72.
Stephens Takes Flight
Laura Stephens: Photo Courtesy: British Swimming
Stephens’ time of 2:07.04 was a PB by more than half a second and propelled her to fifth in the rankings.
It was also 1.28secs within the consideration time of 2:08.32 although the British Swimming selection policy stated times be done in the final.
Come the final and it was Alys Thomas who led at halfway 1:02.37 to 1:02.72.
Stephens though turned that into a lead of 0.09 at the final turn before a last 50 of 32.80 saw her home in 2:08.15, 0.17 inside the consideration time.
Final nominations will be announced on Tuesday 8 June with Stephens – who won European women’s 4×100 medley gold – on course to join Thomas in the 200 fly.
Thomas was second in 2:09.44 with Emily Large rounding out the top three in 2:11.39.
Stephens said:
“I couldn’t really ask for much more at this meet. It’s been really tough turning it round after selection trials, having a bit of a disappointing swim there, and Europeans also, more strong swims but outside the consideration time.
“So to come here and get it twice, with a pretty substantial PB yesterday, was really the icing on the cake. Third time’s a charm, isn’t it?!
“In all honesty, I didn’t come in with any expectations, I just came in with an open mind.
“We’ve been in a bit of a difficult situation with training, do we taper, do we not taper, so I’m not exactly fully rested for this meet. I just came in and thought, ‘it’s my last shot, so I’m going to give it everything I have’ – and it’s paid off.”
Ed Mildred is one for Paris 2024, the Northampton swimmer having won three gold and two silver medals at the 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival.
He won the men’s 200 fly in 1:58.00 ahead of Jay Lelliott (1:58.54) and Jacob Greenow (2:02.69).
Litchfield Takes It To The Max; No Tokyo For Miley
Max Litchfield: Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, British SwimmingLitchfield built up a lead throughout each leg of the 400IM and was 12 metres ahead going into the free.
Litchfield built up a lead throughout each leg and was 12 metres ahead going into the freestyle.
The Loughborough NTC swimmer split 57.44/2:02.67/3:14.65/4:12.81 to post a time that promises much given it was unrested.
Charlie Hutchison (4:23.38) and Brodie Williams (4:24.13) rounded out the top three.
Litchfield, the European bronze medallist, was fourth in Rio.
Wood and Miley went stroke-for-stroke on the backstroke with youngster Katie Shanahan – one for Paris 2024 – joining them to move into first.
Wood opened up a healthy lead on the breaststroke and was three body-lengths ahead going into the free to come home in 4:39.96.
Miley was second in 4:44.00 with Shanahan rounding out the top three in 4:45.42.
Injury disrupted Miley’s preparations for the April trials and Tokyo will be the first time since Beijing 2008 that she will not feature in an Olympic final.
The Scot was sixth in 2008, fifth four years later in London and then fourth at Rio 2016, where she was overtaken in the final metres by Maria Belmonte, locked out of the podium by 0.15.
Her focus turns to 2022 and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, where the 31-year-old will seek to add to the three 400IM medals – two of them gold – she has claimed at the last three Games.
Scott Too Hot To Handle
Duncan Scott: Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, British Swimming
Cameron Kurle had swum a PB of 1:46.62 to book lane four as he looked to make his case to be selected for the 4×200 relay in Tokyo.
Scott and Tom Dean top the world rankings with times of 1:44.47 and 1:44.58 respectively from the British trials – both inside the previous national record.
It was Dean who led at 50 with Kurle ahead at halfway when Scott made his move to turn first at 150.
The University of Stirling swimmer came home in 1:46.02 ahead of Dean (1:46.46) with James Guy producing the fastest final 50 of 27.17 to take third in 1:46.49.
Kurle’s time of 1:46.90 was also inside the cut to throw his hat in the ring for the relay.
Scott – who shares a flat with Kurle – said:
“Look at that, that’s a world-class field right there. I’ve got to say a special mention to Cam Kurle.
“To go 1:46.6 at night, coming back, being in lane four of a heat like that and going 1:46.9, it would’ve been a PB if he didn’t swim last night. He’s a really good training partner as well.
“It’s always a pleasure racing those boys, really honest efforts throughout the season. It’s a really good, competitive environment, which is what you need.
“It’s really good to see. With it being a relay event as well, as much as we all are competing against each other, it makes it a special rivalry because we are teammates at the end of the day. I think that comes first, and then the rivalry comes second.
“It’s a really positive place to be in and it has moved on in the last couple of years – Cam this morning, Joe Litchfield last night as well. Hopefully he’s given the selectors a bit of a headache.”
Lucy Hope was a body-length clear at 100 in the women’s race with Freya Anderson tickling her toes before the Scot pulled away on the third 50.
Come the last length and Anderson ate away into her deficit, closing with each stroke in the final metres but Hope – who left Budapest with four gold relay medals – touched first in 1:58.78.
Anderson (1:59.26) and Emma Russell (2:00.91) were second and third respectively.
Dawson Brings It Back
Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Kathleen Dawson won the 50 back in 27.64 ahead of Georgia Davies who clocked 28.07.
Dawson returns in the 100 back heats on Saturday evening, the University of Stirling a swimmer who begs the question of what she will do next whenever she gets on the blocks.
Martyn Walton won the men’s race in 25.62.
Dan Jervis ploughed a lone furrow in the men’s 800 free to win in 7:52.60, outside the consideration time.
The Welshman has qualified for Tokyo in the 1500 in which he is a two-time Commonwealth medallist and could possibly be slotted in to the 800, which is making its Olympic debut on the men’s programme in Tokyo.
Emily Clarke won the women’s 16-length event in 8:57.93 ahead of Ella Dyson (8:59.26), the pair the only swimmers inside nine minutes.
Harvey Lowers British Record Once More
Grace Harvey: Photo Courtesy: British Swimming
There was another British record for Grace Harvey in the women’s MC 100m breaststroke, a day after she bettered her own mark for the SB5 category.
She clocked 1:41.42 to knock 0.3 off the record she set on Friday – and Harvey is continuing to show impressive form off the back of a stunning set of swims at the British Para-Swimming International Meet in April.
She said:
“That was a great swim! I learned from the heats last night and just continued to build my stroke throughout the race.
“I’m now really hoping to have a decent 100m freestyle. It’s not an event I’ve really been looking at, I just want to enjoy the swim, really.”
Scott Quin also improved on his heats time to claim victory in the men’s 100m MC breaststroke, while Tom Hamer – back from winning two medals at the recent World Para Swimming European Open Championships in Madeira – came out on top in the men’s 200 MC freestyle.
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