Adam Peaty has launched his bid for a third consecutive Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke by advancing to the semi-finals in Paris. The 29-year-old Briton finished his heat in 59.18 seconds, securing the second-fastest time, just 0.14 seconds behind the Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau.
Peaty, who holds the world record in the event with a 56.88-second swim set in 2019, has recently returned to competitive swimming after taking time off to address periods of depression and alcohol issues. His comeback has been highly anticipated, especially as he aims to defend his title after winning gold at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
China’s Qin Haiyang, considered Peaty’s main rival after sweeping all three breaststroke events at the 2023 World Championships, finished his heat in 59.58 seconds, 0.40 seconds behind Peaty.
James Wilby, another Briton, also qualified for the semi-finals, clocking a season’s best 59.40 seconds to place sixth. The semi-finals will take place on Saturday, with the final scheduled for Sunday.
In other events, Keanna Macinnes of Team GB advanced to the semi-final of the women’s 100m butterfly, finishing with a time of 57.90 seconds to place 16th. Both the men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay teams from Great Britain have also progressed to the finals, which will be held later on Saturday. However, Kieran Bird did not make it to the semi-finals in the men’s 400m freestyle, finishing 16th in the heats.