Sport

Adam Peaty smashes world record in delivering gold for Britain

Ireland’s Shane Ryan fails to make 100m backstroke final

Britain’s Adam Peaty celebrates winning the Men’s 100m breaststroke in Rio. Photograph: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Mon Aug 08 2016 - 03:28

Adam Peaty ended Britain's 28-year wait for a men's Olympic swimming gold on Sunday with the nation's first medal of the Rio Games.

The 21-year-old from Uttoxeter won the 100 metres breaststroke to emulate Adrian Moorhouse, who won the same event in Seoul in 1988.

Peaty broke his own world record in winning in 57.13 seconds. Peaty was the only man in history to swim beneath 58 seconds entering the Olympics and broke his own world record in his heat, qualifying in 57.55. He was just 0.07s slower in Saturday night’s semi-final.

And in Sunday’s final, the City of Derby swimmer went even quicker.

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He completed the first 50m in 26.61, 0.08 under world record pace and a blistering second length saw him enhance his advantage to win by more than 1.5s.

Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa, the London 2012 gold medallist, was second in 58.69s and Cody Miller of the United States third in 58.87s.

Peaty was already world, European and Commonwealth champion and he claimed the full set with an incredible display of dominance.

He told BBC One: “It’s so surreal to get Team GB’s first gold, but this product is seven years of work.

“I came out tonight and took the first 50 easy and came back with everything I have got. I did it for my country and that means so much for me.”

Ireland's Shane Ryan saw his hopes of making the final of the 100m backstroke ended at the semi-final stage as he finished eighth and last in a time of 54.40.

Earlier James Guy qualified for Monday's 200m freestyle final by the narrowest of margins.

Guy, world champion in the event, was sixth in the 400m freestyle on Saturday and advanced to the four-length final in eighth place, by 0.01s.

Sun Yang of China, second in the 400m, was fastest qualifier in 1:44.63.

Chloe Tutton was sixth in her 100m breaststroke semi-final, placing 13th overall to miss out on a place in Monday's final.

Controversial Russian Yulia Efimova, a convicted drug cheat, was booed before winning the semi in 1:05.72. Tutton clocked 1:07.29.

Lithuania’s defending champion Ruta Meilutyte, who trains in Plymouth, was second.

Lilly King of the United States went 0.02 quicker than Efimova in the second semi-final to qualify fastest.