European Championships 2018: Adam Peaty wins 100m breaststroke in world record time

Media caption,

GB's Peaty breaks breaststroke world record to win gold

2018 European Championships on the BBC

Host cities: Glasgow and Berlin Dates: 2-12 August

Coverage: Live across BBC TV, BBC Radio 5 live and sports extra plus the BBC Sport website with further coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app.

Great Britain's Adam Peaty broke his own 100m breaststroke world record to retain his European title in Glasgow.

The 23-year-old Olympic and world champion finished in 57.00 seconds - 0.13secs quicker than his previous best time - as team-mate James Wilby grabbed silver following a late surge.

Peaty took a huge lead on the first 50m before pulling away further to win by 1.54secs from fellow Englishman Wilby.

"I can't believe I beat what I did at the Olympics," said Peaty.

"I was in perfect shape then - I'm not even in that good shape now. I didn't try to be in that good shape."

Britain then won a bronze in the mixed 4x200m freestyle relay after a stunning final leg from Freya Anderson, 17, who moved up from sixth to third.

Elsewhere on day three of the inaugural multi-sport championships, cyclist Ethan Hayter, 19, won omnium gold, defending champion Katie Archibald took silver in the 3,000m individual pursuit and the men's four and women's eights both won silver in the rowing.

Hayter's gold in the final event of the day moved Britain up to third in the medal table with three golds, five silvers and three bronzes.

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European Championships 2018: GB swim team storm back to clinch mixed relay bronze

Peaty bounces back after Gold Coast disappointment

Peaty had suggested in the build-up that he had a point to prove after the Commonwealth Games, where he was an underwhelming winner in the 100m breaststroke and was beaten to the 50m crown by South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh.

"It's down to the training, down to Mel [Marshall, coach] keeping me humble. Obviously the Commonwealths experience keeping me humble," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"I wasn't in the right frame of mind on the Gold Coast because it was April. I'd never swum a meet like that in April before, but this is the Europeans and I wanted to make my wrongs right."

Peaty, unbeaten in the 100m breaststroke for four years, added: "You can't go out there and fight for a world record, you've got to let it come to you.

"It doesn't matter when it happens, sometimes you just need a loss to give you a reality check - in all walks of life."

Wilby's time of 58.54 was not only a personal best but also placed him in the top three men's 100m breaststroke swimmers of all time, behind Peaty and Van der Burgh.

"I was hoping for sub-59 and to do it by that much was special, especially with the swim Adam put in and a great 1-2 for Britain. I couldn't be more happy," said Wilby.

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European Championships 2018: Why is 'perfect' Peaty so good at breaststroke?

Image source, PA

Davies powers into final

Earlier, Georgia Davies broke the European 50m backstroke record in her heat before she won her next race to book a place in Sunday's final, but team-mate Kathleen Dawson went out in the semi-finals.

Wales' Davies, who won Commonwealth Games bronze in April, had set a new record time of 27.21 earlier on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Olympic silver medallist Siobhan-Marie O'Connor won her semi-final to reach the women's 100m breaststroke final, but fellow Briton Imogen Clark missed out.

James Guy reached the 200m butterfly final by finishing second in his semi-final, while six-time Commonwealth Games medallist Duncan Scott qualified for the men's 100m freestyle final with the fifth fastest time in the semi-finals.

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GB's Georgia Davies breaks European record in 50m backstroke heats

'The perfect race' - analysis

Rebecca Adlington, double Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer on BBC TV

That was just unbelievable. We've talked about Adam Peaty so much coming into this competition and tonight he just put in a perfect race.

I love the fact James Wilby looked at Adam's time before his own.

Adrian Moorhouse, British former Olympic 100m breaststroke champion

It's a mark of the man Adam Peaty is - he didn't do it quite right at the Commonwealths and he's come back and absolutely obliterated the world record.

He is as good as [American distance swimmer] Katie Ledecky - they are the two dominating swimming around the world at the moment.

It's a real privilege to see him in such good shape and laying down a real marker at the end of the season.

Media caption,

European Championships 2018: Tom Daley discovers Glasgow

Britain target more medals in the pool - day four

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Laura Kenny is hoping to win three gold medals at these European Championships

Gold medals: 25 in rowing, cycling, synchronised swimming, gymnastics and swimming.

11:35 BST - Laura Kenny won her 11th European title on Friday and will hope to win another in the elimination race.

12:30-16:00 - Great Britain's Dani Rowe goes in the women's road race, but Dutchwomen Anna van der Breggen and Marianne Vos are the ones to watch.

17:20 - Scot Duncan Scott, who won six Commonwealth Games medals this year, goes in the men's 100m freestyle after qualifying fifth fastest.

17:25 - Siobhan-Marie O'Connor will aim to see off Russia's Yulia Efimova in the 100m breaststroke final.

18:21 - Wales' Georgia Davies, who broke the European 50m backstroke record on Saturday, will look to win gold.

Network coverage: 09:00-19:00, BBC Two; 19:00-21:00, BBC Two

Further coverage: 08:45-13:00, swimming and cycling road race, BBC Red Button & 09:00-21:00, uninterrupted coverage, Connected TV and online.

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