Rio Olympics 2016: Adam Peaty eases into 100m breaststroke final
- Published
Great Britain's Adam Peaty qualified easily for Sunday's 100m breaststroke final having earlier broken his own world record.
The 21-year-old qualified fastest in 57.62 seconds as he aims to become the first British male to win an individual Olympic swimming gold since 1988.
The City of Derby swimmer's 57.55 in the heats broke his record of 57.98.
Compatriot Ross Murdoch missed out on a place in the final, finishing sixth in his semi-final.
Peaty is seeking to emulate fellow Englishman Adrian Moorhouse, who who won breaststroke gold at Seoul in 1988.
"It didn't really feel like an Olympic semi-final," said Peaty. "I feel like there's more in the tank but I want to save myself for that and hopefully cash out tomorrow.
"It is great. It is tough Ross didn't make it through because it would have been great to have two GB boys through, but I will do my best and show what I am all about."
Scotland's Murdoch added: "It was pretty rough, that race. I'll need to go back and have a think what went wrong. You start slipping water and it costs you."
Britons miss out on medals
It was a disappointing day for the Britons in the evening's finals.
Both James Guy and Hannah Miley missed out on medals after valiant efforts in their respective races.
England's Guy led the 400m freestyle after the first 250 metres before he ran out of steam and finished sixth.
He told BBC Radio 5 live: "It was trying to go out hard and see how I could go on. I feel like I am in a good place. It is what it is.
"I'll go back now and chill, watch the Inbetweeners and have some dinner and enjoy tomorrow. I am at the Games, I am 20 years old. You move on."
In the women's 400m individual medley, Miley, who had competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, was in third place during the final freestyle leg but was touched out of bronze by Spain's Mireia Belmonte by 0.15 seconds.
Hungarian Katinka Hosszu set a new world record as she took gold.
"I had nothing left," said Miley. "It is such a mixture of emotions. I was so close to getting it. It is happy and disappointment all coming together."
Max Litchfield, 21, was fourth in the men's event on his Games debut.
"I was still two seconds behind the guy who was third," he said. "It's not like it was a matter of hundredths of a second.
"It is a bit annoying. But to come fourth in my first Games and to have two personal bests in a day is not too bad."
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