Adam Peaty has won Britain’s first medal of the 2016 Rio Olympics taking gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke and setting a new world record, writes Matt McGeehan.
The 21-year-old stormed to victory with a 57.13 seconds swim, smashing his own world record for the second time in two days and winning Britain’s first gold in the men’s swimming for decades.
Peaty comfortably beat South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh and the Cody Miller of the United States to take gold, Britain’s first podium finish of the games so far.
Peaty was the only man in history to swim beneath 58secs entering the Olympics and broke his own world record in his heat, qualifying in 57.55s.
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.
He completed the first 50m in 26.61s, 0.08s 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."
