History maker Adam Peaty wrote the latest chapter of his swimming legacy by becoming the first Brit to defend an Olympic title in the pool, powering to gold in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke final on Monday morning.
Just as he did in Rio five years ago,
Peaty claimed Team GB’s first gold of Tokyo 2020 with yet another performance
of class, composure and technical dominance, starting well to turn first in his
now customary lane four.
His speed through the water took him
home from there, the Loughborough National Centre man pulling clear of Arno
Kamminga and Nicolo Martinenghi to reach the wall in 57.37, completing a unique
achievement in British Olympic history.
World Championship silver medallist
James Wilby came back well down the second 50m in his first experience of a
Games final, ultimately getting the touch fifth in his quickest time of the
three rounds.
For Peaty, there was no hiding the
emotions of his second, long-awaited Olympic triumph.
“I haven’t felt this good since 2016!
It just means the world to me,” said the 26-year-old, who has earned each of
his burgeoning major medal haul under coach Mel Marshall.
“I thought I had the best possible
preparation of my life, but then you throw in morning finals and you throw all
that out of the window. That’s really what it takes to be an athlete – it’s not
who’s the best all year round, it’s who’s the best on the day, who’s the most
adaptable.
“This has closed a chapter for me, it
was unfinished business. I want to say thank you to the nation for being behind
me the last five years, thank you to my family, my gorgeous partner, my
gorgeous son and my whole family back home, they’ve been with me every step of
the way.
“This victory wasn’t mine. It was the
British Swimming team’s, it was my family’s, it was my friends’, and those
people I had to put to the sidelines for a moment because I knew it was going
to take absolutely every bit of energy to get to this point.”
His aim for more Olympic glory in
Tokyo is far from done yet, with the Uttoxeter man a crucial component of the
Men's and Mixed Medley Relay events later in the meet.
Wilby, meanwhile, still has the 200m
Breaststroke to come, as well as playing a part in Britain’s bid for success in
the Medley Relays too – and he knows he has plenty more to offer, despite the
disappointment of missing out on the podium in the 100m finale.
“I am a little bit disappointed, my
best time would’ve been right in the mix there. It’s a challenge [with morning
finals] but I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, that’s something we can’t
factor in and think about – everyone’s in the same situation, all that matters
is we do what we do best and try to get up there on the podium,” said the David
Hemmings-coached man.
“There’s something really special
about the team, and that extends beyond the medley relay. Any part I can play
in supporting other people’s journeys, that makes me really proud as well. We
are just getting started here at the Games, I’m looking forward to everyone
else’s swims.”
With Peaty having barely finished his
medal lap of honour of the Tokyo Aquatics Centre pool, Kathleen Dawson carried
the Team GB momentum on by securing a place in the Women’s 100m Backstroke
final.
The European champion and record
holder was joined in semi-final one by University of Stirling training partner
Cassie Wild, with Dawson showing her eye-opening speed to lead at the halfway
stage of a strong field.
A pacey second 50m saw her drop back
to third, but she showed composure under the pressure to stay in touch
throughout – and that result was more than enough to see her through to Tuesday
morning’s final, which looks set to be a cracker. Wild – who will also compete
in the 200m event – placed 15th overall on her Games bow.
Speaking about making a maiden
Olympic final, Dawson said: “I feel like I’ve had a great load of confidence
building up into this, especially winning Europeans twice in the same night! I
was really confident coming in. It’s definitely been a rollercoaster over
recent years, but I think the proof is in the swimming that I’ve come back
stronger than ever.
“It’s amazing just to be a part of
this point in history in backstroke. I’m not too focused on getting a medal
because there’s obviously some great competitors in there, but I want to be in
the mix – and it could be anyone. It’s just about getting your hand on that
wall.”
Duncan Scott and Tom Dean got the
second finals session of Tokyo 2020 off to a blistering start for Team GB in
the packed Men’s 200m Freestyle semi-finals.
Both went in the second semi after
confident heats showings, with Bath National Centre man Dean taking the race
out from the blocks with a pacey opening 50m.
Scott’s unerring race control came to
the fore down the second 100m, the Steven Tigg-coached athlete moving to the
front and staying there to touch fastest overall in a time just short of his
own British record. Dean also finished strong in a quick contest to qualify
fourth-fastest for Tuesday’s final and ensure there will be two Brits well in
contention for a podium spot in that one.
After the fastest of the semis, Scott
said: “We got to see what was going on. I think a few went slow in that first
one, so I knew we had a good opportunity in that second semi. I think we dealt
with that really well and took that chance, so I think we’ve got a great chance
tomorrow.
"It feels good being in the
final. It’s great to have Deano there as well, I love racing with him, he’s a
great teammate and we’re in an apartment together as well, so it’s really good
fun."
Dean added: “It’s probably the
different training environments coming into it [affecting times across
sessions] – but also, it’s an Olympic Games and some people massively step up
at an Olympics. It’s a bit all over the place. It’s really exciting. On paper,
the stat is we were first and second quickest coming into the Olympics, but
it’s not raced on paper. We’ve got to wait and see, but we’re in a great position
going into tomorrow morning.”
Sarah Vasey’s maiden Olympic Games
appearance saw her in Women’s 100m Breaststroke semi-final action on day four –
and she came so close to securing a coveted final spot.
The 24-year-old – who works under Mel
Marshall at the Loughborough National Centre – showed her ambitions early on in
the faster, second semi, surging down the first 50m to turn in third.
As the pace continued, she dropped
back a couple of places and recorded an 11th-placed finish overall, a more than
creditable return in the opening days of her first Games.
"I thought it was going to be a
lot faster, I feel like I’d done everything I can to prepare for that and I
feel like I deserved a better race, but sometimes you’ve just got to deal with
what you’re dealt. I felt really good and I knew what I needed to move on from
last night, I thought I’d done that but obviously not," said the former
City of Derby athlete.
"The Olympic experience is
amazing. If I’d told myself 10 years ago I’d be doing this, I’d have been
pinching myself at being in an Olympic semi-final, so you’ve got to take the
positives."
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