Adam Peaty touched out the fast-finishing James Wilby by 0.08 to win the 100m breaststroke on day two of the Edinburgh International Meet.
The Olympic champion went out in 27.84, 0.01 behind Bernhard Reitshammer and 0.63 ahead of Wilby, before the European 200 champion came back like the proverbial train on the second 50.
Peaty stopped the clock in 1:00.20 with Wilby – who won the 200 on Friday – finishing in 1:00.28 and Reitshammer rounding out the podium in 1:00.45.
Splits:
Peaty: 27.84/32.36
Wilby: 28.47/31.81
Hansson Flies High; Masse On Scorching Form
Louise Hansson: Photo Courtesy: Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Louise Hansson dominated the 100 fly, splitting 27.28/30.56 en-route to stopping the clock in 57.84.
It was the European champion’s third-fastest swim of the season after her 57.25 in Luxembourg and 57.71 at the Lausanne Swim Cup and the sixth-swiftest in the fledgling rankings.
Roos Vanotterdijk was next home, 1.23secs behind in 59.07 in her second swim of the evening after the 50 back, with Lucy Grieve of the University of Stirling completing the podium in 59.18.
Kylie Masse added the 50 back to the 100 she won on Friday with a speedy 27.79 – a time only she and Regan Smith have bettered in 2023 with the Canadian topping the rankings with 27.38 from the TYR Pro Swim Series in Knoxville in January.
Simona Kubova repeated her runners-up spot in the 100 although she had to share the second step on the podium with Vanotterdijk in 28.33.
Oliver Morgan won the men’s race in 25.43
Wiffen Strikes Again; Anderson Prevails In Duel
Daniel Wiffen was the only man inside 8mins as he added the 800m title to the 1500 he won on Friday.
Daniel Wiffen: Photo Courtesy: Swim Ireland
The Irishman has emerged on the international stage in the last year and rewritten the European and Irish record books in the process.
On Saturday, he led for all but the first 100m before going away to secure victory in 7:55.27, his second-fastest of the year following his 7:53.14 in Luxembourg.
Luke Turley (8:00.92) and Toby Robinson (8:03.75) completed the podium.
Freya Anderson won out in a ding-dong 200 free battle with Abbie Wood.
The pair went stroke-for-stroke throughout the race with Anderson’s lead of 0.09 at 50 and halfway the biggest margin between the two.
Come the final turn and the European silver medallist led by 0.05 and despite the best efforts of Wood, it was Anderson who touched first in 1:58.65 to 1:58.67.
Lucy Hope also made a charge down the final 50 to take third in 1:58.76.
Anderson: 27.86/57.82/1:28.32/1:58.65
Wood: 27.95/57.91/1:28.37/1:58.67
Tom Fannon won the men’s 50 free in 22.51.
Clark Rattles Leaderboard; Colbert & Shanahan Showcase Promise Once More
Imogen Clark: Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Imogen Clark swam the second-swiftest 50br of the year in 30.46, eclipsing her 30.47 at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale a little over a week ago where Lily King produced a rankings topper of 30.04.
Kara Hanlon was second in 31.26 with Anne Palmans coming home in 31.87.
Two teenagers with promising futures in the shape of Freya Colbert and Katie Shanahan topped the podium in their respective events, the 800 free and 400IM.
Colbert won the 400 on the opening night and added the 800 in 8:37.51 ahead of the fast-finishing Alisee Pisane (8:37.95) and Leah Crisp (8:42.67).
Colbert turned 19 on Wednesday and already has international medals to her name with three at last summer’s Europeans in Rome – including 4×200 mixed free gold – and women’s 4×2 bronze with Team England at the Commonwealths in Birmingham.
Her’s is a welcome emergence in events where Britain has enjoyed huge success through the likes of Becky Adlington, Jazz Carlin and Jo Jackson.
Katie Shanahan: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
So too has the 400IM been a source of medals courtesy of Hannah Miley and Aimee Willmott before their retirements last year.
Shanahan won the 2021 European junior title in 2021 before claiming Commonwealth bronze for Team Scotland and then European silver in the 200 back.
The 18-year-old led throughout to win in 4:41.11 although Ellen Walshe stormed back on the final 50 to finish 0.42 behind in 4:41.53 with Alba Vazquez Ruiz (4:44.24).
Looking ahead to the British trials next month for the Fukuoka worlds, she said:
“That was actually quite good considering the point I’m at in training. I was feeling apprehensive earlier as I’ve had a hard few weeks and didn’t feel 100% in the warm-up, so I was a bit nervous. It was a great fight in there with Ellen [Walshe] in the last 50 so happy to get the touch.
“Getting any win at the point in the season is good, it’s about building that confidence. Hopefully in the next few weeks I can sharpen up my skills. It will put me in good stead for trials.”
Thomas Jansen won the men’s race in 4:21.82 in a final shorn of Duncan Scott who’d been second in the heats in 4:19.94.
Miguel Martinez Novoa won the men’s 200 fly in 2:00.21 with Scott opting not to contest the final.