Peaty leads charge for GBR in Rome

23 Jun 2017

Adam Peaty and Siobhan-Marie O’Connor both claimed gold in their respective 100m Breaststroke events as British swimmers won four medals at the Seven Hills meet in Rome.

There was also a silver in the Men’s 50m Freestyle for Ben Proud and Sarah Vasey took bronze in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke.

The three-day event is giving the British team the chance to race against quality opposition for the final time as they move into the concluding phase of their preparations for the World Championships in Budapest next month.

Peaty was down after the start and found himself in a real fight with Italian teenager Nicolo Martinenghi.

The Olympic champion pulled clear on the second length to earn another victory as he fine-tuned his preparations ahead of next month’s global event where he will defend the 50m and 100m Breaststroke titles.

Peaty was happy given he is still in heavy training and racing unrested.

“Very satisfied,” he said. “Last year before Olympics at the same time of year I went 59.5 so it is looking very good for World Championships.

“I have put a lot more muscle on so I need more rest to swim fast but it’s looking very good.

“For me it’s all about racing, all about racing the young guns and he gave me a good fight this evening.

“But it’s all about trying to find areas I can improve and just like last year and the year before and the year before as soon as I rest I get really fast.

“Carrying this much muscle in the water every time I race is quite hard but it’s looking good for World Championships.”

O’Connor came from second at halfway to win the Women’s 100m Breaststroke with team-mate and British champion Vasey third, fighting heavy legs in the final metres.

O’Connor said: “I was really happy with that. It has been a bit of a bumpy ride since trials so that was good.

“I haven’t had the same consistency this year as I had last year. But it has been really good racing in Europe but I am feeling good now and in a good place ahead of World Championships.”

For Vasey it was the continuation of a fine season and she said: “I am really happy.

“I was surprised this morning that I made the A final. I didn’t think it was going to be a 1:07.

“My legs died in the last 20m – all the work I’ve done came in at the end.”

For Proud it was a good performance and underlined his consistency this season.

“I’m happy with that. That is probably the most stacked I have seen an in-season event in terms of depth.

“I don’t know how many world medallists were in there. I wasn’t expecting that much so to do another 21 was great.” 

Georgia Davies was fourth in the Women’s 50m Backstroke with Chris Walker-Hebborn sixth in the Men’s event.

Hannah Miley and Holly Hibbott were fifth and eighth respectively in the Women’s 400m Freestyle with James Guy and Stephen Milne seventh and eighth in the Men’s race.

Rachael Kelly was eighth in the Women’s 50m Butterfly.