Peaty Advances to 100m Breaststroke Semis in Paris.

Multi Sports Paris 2024 Olympics

Posted 1 months ago

Peaty Advances to 100m Breaststroke Semis in Paris.

Adam Peaty started his quest for a third straight Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke by cruising into the semi-finals in Paris.

The 29-year-old Adam Peaty nodded and wagged a finger at the crowd after winning his race in 59.18 seconds, qualifying with the second-fastest time in the heats, just 0.14 seconds behind Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands.

Peaty, who set the world record in 2019 with a time of 56.88, has taken time off in recent years to address periods of depression and alcohol issues. His return to the Olympic stage has been highly anticipated.

Peaty became the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title by winning gold in the 100m at the Tokyo Games in 2021. He aims for a third consecutive gold in Paris.

His main competitor, China's Qin Haiyang, who swept all three breaststroke events at the 2023 World Championships, finished his heat in 59.58, 0.40 seconds behind Peaty.

Fellow Briton James Wilby also advanced to the semi-finals, clocking a season-best 59.40 to qualify in sixth. The final will take place on Sunday.