After swimming a time of 57.89 in the 100 breast prelims at the European Championships, Great Britain’s Adam Peaty came in a tick slower in the semi-finals, his time of 58.04 still plenty quick enough to earn him lane four in Saturday’s final. Peaty’s prelims swim marked the first time he or any man had broken 58 this year.
Another Brit, James Wilby, qualified second in 59.23. Peaty, Wilby (59.12) and Ross Murdoch (59.14) were actually the top three swimmers overall in prelims, but only two per country can advance, leaving Murdoch locked out.
Russia’s Anton Chupkov qualified third in 59.43. Italy’s Fabio Scozzoli (59.65), the Netherland’s Arno Kamminga (59.74) and Lithuania’s Andruis Sidlauskas (59.76) followed close behind.
Serbia’s Caba Siladji qualified seventh in 59.91, while Ireland’s Darragh Greene tied with Russia’s Kirill Prigoda for eighth in 59.92, setting up a potential swim-off. Prigoda was the bronze medalist in the event at last year’s World Championships.
