Paris Olympics, Day 1 Semis: Adam Peaty One Step Away From The Three-Peat; Books Lane Four Ahead Of Qin Haiyang
Adam Peaty took another step towards the 100m breaststroke three-peat when he booked lane four for the final at La Defense Arena.
Peaty will join Michael Phelps in an exclusive two-man club if he wins his third straight title to secure the three-peat.
The 23-time Olympic champion won three straight titles in the 100 fly in 2004-2008-2012 although regardless of what happens in the French capital, he’ll continue to stand alone with four consecutive Olympic golds in the 200IM between 2004 and 2016.
Come Sunday 28 July and Peaty will write yet another line in the history books should he add to his crowns from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021.
- Meet Results
- 2024 Paris Olympics Meet Page
- World Record: Adam Peaty, GBR – 56.88 (2019)
- Olympic Record: Adam Peaty, GBR – 57.13 (2016)
- Tokyo Olympic Champion: Adam Peaty, GBR – 57.37
Flanked on one side by Tokyo bronze medallist Nicolo Martinenghi and with Great Britain teammate James Wilby on the other, Peaty went in the first semi, reaching halfway 0.27 off his WR.
He came home to touch in 58.86 ahead of 2024 world champion Nic Fink who clocked 59.16.
Qin Haiyang led throughout in the second semi to take the touch in 58.93 for second spot behind Peaty in the final with Arno Kamminga, Tokyo silver medallist, third through in 59.12.
Fink is fourth through followed by Caspar Corbeau (59.24), Martinenghi (59.28) and Lucas Matzerath (59.31) with Melvin Imoudu and Ludovico Blu Art Viberti locked on 59.38 and requiring a swimoff which the German won in 59.69 to 59.90 for eighth spot.
Peaty said: “Very good. You know, through the heats it was about getting the job done, get to the semifinal. Tonight Mel (coach Mel Marshall) was just like business – just getting out there, enjoying the crowd, a bit of adrenaline and it’s put me in the best lane for the final so we’ll see what I get there tomorrow.
“I’ve been in this situation many times before but again it’s about enjoying it. I don’t want to come out there tomorrow and be anxious – of course we’ll have nerves, I embrace the nerves, I love the nerves – but whatever the result tomorrow, I want to finish with a smile and know that I gave my all with no mistakes and I think I can do that.”
The qualification times for the final were noticeably slower than three years ago in Tokyo where Peaty went 57.63 followed by four men on 58s led by Kamminga in 58.19 with Andrew Wilson of the USA slowest through in 59.18.
While Peaty believes the winning time may be slower than his 58.86 tonight, he expected the overall QTs to have been faster although he emphasised it was all about winning the race.
“Times don’t mean anything here, times do not mean a single thing here,” he said. “It’s about who gets their hand on the wall to get those top-three finishes and that is sport in its most beautiful form.
“We don’t care about the times, we don’t care about all that. Of course we dissect it, of course we use it, but it’s about the racing and that is what I love, that’s what runs through every single vein in my body and tomorrow I’m just looking for a little bit of joy through that.”
Kamminga echoed Peaty, saying: “This slow (to make the final?) No! After this morning, yes, but if I’ve learned anything over the years it’s not about times, it’s places. So just get your hand on the wall first so whether it’s a fast or slow pool, it doesn’t matter. Just get your hands touching the wall.”
The Netherlands swimmer fell ill at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest which, combined with burnout, saw him miss most of the remainder of the year.
Despite that and the fact he missed a huge block of training, not only did Kamminga manage to compete at the Fukuoka worlds but he was part of an historic three-way tie for gold with Fink and Martinenghi.
Of whether he had ever had to confront the possibility of not making it back to the position in which he finds himself on the brink of another Olympic final, Kamminga told Swimming World: “To be honest, maybe up until last week. There’s been a lot of ups and downs this year, this season, especially a lot of low points where I got sick again and again and it didn’t want to happen.
“But I soldiered on, kept my head up and kept working and all the pieces are coming together now.”
Go the ThreePeaty!
Kamminga for Silver & The Fink for Bronze.
No Chinese PED’S swimmers to medal!