By David Rieder
Two years ago, few outside of Great Britain knew the name Adam Peaty. Just 19 years old, Peaty had never competed at a major international meet, and he entered his first Commonwealth Games as definitively not the favorite in the men’s 100 breast with World Champion Christian Sprenger in the field.
But an injured Sprenger missed the final that week in Glasgow, and Peaty ended up with a gold medal a British record after clocking a 58.94. Weeks later, Peaty added a European title in the event after clocking a 58.68 in the semifinals which made him the third-fastest performer in the event’s history. The next year, Peaty’s world record-shattering 57.92 and later World title cemented his place as a household name among swimming fans.
Peaty returned to the European Championships this week, the 2016 edition in London being held just a few hours’ drive south of his hometown of Uttoxeter. Of course, the continental showcase is now just a tune-up for Peaty and a chance for a large contingent of British fans to support their hero before he takes his shot at Olympic gold. That’s an honor no man from his country has earned since Adrian Moorhouse won the very same 100 breaststroke at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
But Peaty had absolutely nothing to prove in Tuesday’s 100 breast final. He won the event by almost a second and a half and came in at 58.36, a performance that has been surpassed exactly twice ever‒both by Peaty himself. When Peaty took down reigning Olympic gold medalist Cameron van der Burgh in last summer’s World Championship final, he ensured he would have nothing more to prove until he arrives in Brazil this August.
Peaty will just be swimming the 100 breast in Rio, having lost out on spots in the 200 breast to two of his country’s other top breaststrokers, Andrew Willis and Ross Murdoch. But that doesn’t matter either. Peaty’s quick rise to prominence, his two year win streak in the 100 and his until-recently unfathomable world record have made him the current king of sprint breaststroke, but it would take an Olympic gold medal to elevate him to all-time great status and cement his place as a national hero.
*Dress rehersal time for Katinka Hosszu. It’s been business as usual for Hosszu through the first two days of the European Championships. She has already collected titles in the 400 IM (4:30.90) and 200 back (2:07.01). Only Hosszu herself has bettered that mark in the 400 IM this season, and she moved up to fourth in the world rankings in the 200 back with that triumph.
The packed schedule is nothing new for Hosszu, but getting through this test is her biggest priority for this meet. She’s now won 11 long course European titles‒and five long course World titles‒but it’s no secret that Hosszu is gunning for this summer’s Olympics, a meet where she still has yet to make the podium.
Hosszu likes to attempt ambitious programs, but the Olympic schedule does her no favors. She will be fresh for the 400 IM final on day one‒and she will be the big gold medal favorite‒but day four presents a big challenge with the 200 free final, 200 fly semi-final and 200 IM final in succession, if she chooses to contest all three events.
She attempted the 200 fly-200 IM double in 2012‒in the very same London pool in which she’s swimming this week‒and the plan backfired as Hosszu finished ninth in the 200 fly and then turned around to finish eighth in the 200 IM final, three seconds behind anyone else. For all the doubles Hosszu has attempted these past four years, that’s the one she has had her eyes on the whole time.
Barnea Rachel – Nice picture
I had the privilege to officiate in his lane, when he set the world record in Berlin 2014 on 50m breaststroke and again in Kazan 2015, At Berlin I was amazed by the pace he approached me, understanding something great is going to happen….it was thrilling!!!