{"id":440999,"date":"2020-07-27T09:38:46","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T16:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=440999"},"modified":"2024-10-28T11:22:50","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T18:22:50","slug":"tokyo-vision-adam-peaty-seeks-to-join-kosuke-kitajima-in-100-breaststroke-pantheon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/tokyo-vision-adam-peaty-seeks-to-join-kosuke-kitajima-in-100-breaststroke-pantheon\/","title":{"rendered":"Tokyo Vision: Adam Peaty Seeks To Join Kosuke Kitajima In 100 Breaststroke Pantheon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tokyo Vision: Adam Peaty Seeks To Join Kosuke Kitajima In The Olympic Pantheon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Had the COVID-19 pandemic not shaken the world, the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo<\/a> would be unfolding right now, titles and podium finishes earned by the finest athletes from around the world. Instead, we are in a competition lull and hopeful that the Games will be held next summer, with COVID-19 neutralized.<\/p>\n

As we reach the nine days over which the swimming competition of a delayed Olympiad would have taken place, Swimming World is taking a glimpse at what might have unfolded this summer, had the Olympics not been postponed. Following the official schedule, we offer our virtual fields of eight finalists for each event and take a brief look at how the racing might have panned out until a few strokes away from decision and a result that will not be known until July\/August 2021.<\/p>\n

League of Olympic Legends: Kosuke Kitajima Tops 100 Breaststroke Podium With Hencken & Peaty<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Event:<\/strong> Men\u2019s 100m Breaststroke
\nWorld Record:<\/strong> Adam Peaty (2019) \u2013 56.88<\/p>\n

\"OLYMPUS

Photo Courtesy: Junya Nishigawa<\/p><\/div>\n

Historical Note #1:<\/strong> Kosuke Kitajima<\/strong> is the only swimmer \u2013 male or female \u2013 to have successfully defended the 100m breaststroke title. The Japanese went into Athens in 2004 having seen his USA rival Brendan Hansen<\/strong> break both his 100 and 200 world records, serving to ignite his fierce determination. Kitajima won the 100 in 1:00.08 and completed the breaststroke double with victory over four lengths in 2:09.44. Four years later in Beijing, Kitajima became the first man to break the 59-second barrier en-route to 100m gold in 58.91 and also took the 200 in 2:07.64 to complete the double-double, a feat that remains untouched today.<\/p>\n

Historical Note #2:<\/strong> Cameron van der Burgh<\/strong> became the first South African man to win an individual Olympic gold in the pool when he won the 100m breaststroke at London 2012. He led from the front and was .60secs under Brenton Rickard<\/strong>\u2019s world-record pace at halfway, never threatened as he set a new mark of 58.46 ahead of the fast-finishing Christian Sprenger<\/strong> and Brendan Hansen<\/strong>. He sat on the lane rope before lying back with his head on the wall.<\/p>\n

Virtual Vision<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Finalists (Listed Alphabetically)<\/strong><\/p>\n