Adam Peaty stormed to victory in his first major final since the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with a statement performance at the British Swimming Championships.
After taking five months out of the sport and being forced to miss the recent Edinburgh International Swim Meet through illness, the three-time Olympic champion looked like he had never been away, as he won the Men’s 100m Breaststroke gold medal with the second-fastest time in the world this year to round out an action-packed opening day at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge.
Peaty went a second quicker than his morning heats as he led home his Loughborough National Centre teammates James Wilby – who produced a strong final 50m – and Gregory Butler, who finished second and third respectively.
Speaking on his performance and moving things on so far from the heats, Peaty said: “This morning was ropey. Three races into my season, it's always going to be like that, no matter whether it's a British Champs or an open meet in the middle of February.
“For me, it's good progression. It shows the speed is there, it's a little bit harder to get there - I'm usually out in a 26.7, tapered. But that's a real confidence boost for me because this year, it's more of a comeback than a continuation of what I'm doing.
“It's not continuing over - when you have five months off, you see the likes of Michael Phelps having five months off after the Olympics, it's hard to get back to that stage quickly.
“We've had the delay in the Worlds, so we can now do it in June. I know I can get down to something there if I apply myself right, but I've got nothing to prove now. I said over there, this is bonus territory now - I've won everything there is to be won, as humbly as I can say that.
“I’m so grateful to the team around me that keep me in top shape when we can. Obviously you're going to get a bit of illness, a bit of injury. But I'm happy with where I'm at. I’m happy with my lifestyle, I'm happy with my training. This year, I've got nothing to prove, it's all about Paris.”
And as for the return of spectators – including his family – to the Ponds Forge arena, after a two-year break?
“It's a good place to be. I just want to take as many people on this journey into Paris now as I can. I don't think I could've done that tonight without having my family in the crowd, having all these people in the crowd,” he added.
“This is what sport is all about, right? It's not about the time on the clock, it's about the winning, showing you can do it when you're not meant to do it and breaking world records when you can do it! It's very simple for me.
“This is what it's about, this is what it's always been about.”
Earlier in the night, Abbie Wood and Freya Anderson were involved in a titanic tussle for the Women’s 200m Freestyle crown.
Loughborough National Centre swimmer Wood – who trains under coach David Hemmings – edged out Bath National Centre’s Anderson by an astonishingly-close 0.02 seconds as the former matched the latter’s back-end speed in a stunning finish. Nova Centurion’s Freya Colbert claimed the bronze medal.
Wood was third after the first 50m but had taken the lead at the halfway stage and was ahead as they turned for the final 50m.
Anderson appeared to have clawed her way in front with 25m to go but a late surge from Wood, who has already been selected for Birmingham 2022 having reached the 200m Individual Medley final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, saw her take the British title.
European gold medallist Wood said: “I think I've surprised myself there, definitely. I was quite ill over Christmas with glandular fever so, after that, this season was all about getting back down to where I was in Tokyo, and if I do that here, it's a head start from where I was.
“So I am really, really happy with that. This was a nice warm-up event and it's always something I want to be in the mix with for the relays because I love doing any kind of relay I can get involved in.
“My real aim here was to get top two to be in with a chance of swimming mixed relays or the Women’s 4x200m Freestyle. They all build in to my 200m IM as well.
“Dave wants me to have a busy programme to replicate what it will be like, because I think the Olympics were a bit of a shock because it was so busy.”
Nova Centurion Colbert was quickly back in action and set a new personal best to be crowned British champion in the Women’s 400m Individual Medley – less than an hour after that 200m Freestyle bronze.
The Nova Centurion swimmer shaved more than two seconds off her previous best of 4:43.29 to comfortably take the title in what promised to be a close contest.
In reality, it was far from the case as Colbert raced clear after the backstroke leg and the chasing pack had no answer to her dominating performance.
Loughborough National Centre’s Lily Booker was more than two-and-a-half seconds adrift in second spot, just ahead of City of Glasgow’s Katie Shanahan who was the bronze medallist.
Colbert said: “I'm so happy with that. It's about a two-second PB, and I've been stuck on 4:43 for a while, so I'm really happy to drop. It couldn't have come at a better time either – so I'm very happy and excited about what's to come.
“I raced a few weeks ago in Edinburgh and that was very good there. I had a good taper, training has all gone very well, everything was pointing in a good direction so I just wanted to come here and prove I can do what I've been hitting in training.
Daniel Jervis set a new personal best himself and was only 0.10 seconds outside the consideration time for this summer’s World Championships as he cruised to the Men’s 400m Freestyle British title.
The Swansea University swimmer stormed clear of the field after 100m and never looked like relinquishing his lead as he finished 2.08 seconds ahead of runner-up Luke Turley (Bath National Centre). Kieran Bird, Bath National Centre, was the bronze medallist.
Jervis said: “Sheffield is my favourite pool in the world. I’ve been fortunate to swim all over the world. I've seen some fantastic venues - but there's just something about Sheffield. I don't know if it's because I remember it from when I was younger and it's homely to me, but I love it here.
“Training has been going so well, but it's been very difficult, as every athlete in the world will say. Huge credit to my coach Adam Baker, because we've really trained hard into this competition and it's going to be a good week.”
Imogen Clark showed her class as she won the Women’s 50m Breaststroke title with the second-fastest swim in the world this year.
After a promising heat swim, Clark powered her way down lane four to finish narrowly outside her own British record time of 30.04, which she set in 2018.
Loughborough’s Sarah Vasey took the silver medal, with Edinburgh University’s Kara Hanlon claiming bronze.
Derventio swimmer Clark was delighted with her performance and said it felt incredible to be back racing in front of her family and friends..
She said: “I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with that swim! I've not been down at that time since 2018 at Europeans.
“It just feels great to do that here. Sheffield is like my home pool, in front of my family, friends, coaches – it's incredible.”
“It makes such a difference having spectators back here, it really brings up the atmosphere.
“Sometimes, when it's quiet, you have to find all the internal motivation, whereas having all that noise makes it so much easier to get up for it.”
Less than half a second had separated the eight swimmers to qualify for the Men’s 50m Backstroke following the morning heats and the final proved to be another thrilling contest.
Loughborough University’s Sebastian Somerset took the British title from lane two, edging out the heat’s fastest qualifier Scott Gibson for the gold medal.
Edinburgh University’s Gibson touched 0.01 ahead of the bronze medallist Liam White (Swansea University) who was swimming in lane one.
For full results from day one at the British Swimming Championships 2022, click here.