Paris Olympics, Day 1 Prelims: Caspar Corbeau Heads 100m Breaststroke Ahead Of Adam Peaty; Qin Haiyang Through In Ninth
Adam Peaty: Image provided by Aaron Okayama, Speedo.
Adam Peaty successfully swam the 100m breaststroke as he aims to create more records, but it was Caspar Corbeau who led the preliminary round at La Defense Arena.
Peaty will become part of an elite group with Michael Phelps if he wins his third consecutive title and secures the three-peat.
The athlete who has won 23 Olympic medals achieved three consecutive victories in the 100 butterfly in the years 2004, 2008, and 2012. Regardless of the outcomes in Paris, he will still hold the record for winning four consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 200 individual medley from 2004 to 2016.
On Sunday, July 28, Peaty will make history once again if he wins more medals in addition to his titles from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021.
But Qin Haiyang will be a strong obstacle in his path.
The athlete from China made history by winning three breaststroke events at the 2023 World Championships. He swam in 57.69 seconds, moving into second place on the all-time list and surpassing Arno Kamminga's time of 57.80 from the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
He continued his success by winning all the events at the World University Games and later at the Asian Games. He also maintained his top form during the World Cup tour, achieving a time of 57.69 seconds once again at the Berlin stop.
But it was Corbeau who led the way with a time of 59.04 in the first seeded preliminary race, with Peaty coming in second with a time of 59.18 into the next round.
Ilya Shymanovich, the Belarusian athlete competing in Paris on a neutral basis, finished in third place with a time of 59.25. Arno Kamminga and Nicolo Martinenghi, who won silver and bronze medals in Tokyo, also clocked in at 59.39.
Qin competed in the last race and finished with a time of 59.58, placing ninth.
Peaty, who competed in the second-to-last race, expressed:
When I saw the results, I realized that I don't need to overextend myself to prove anything. However, we'll have to wait and see how things go tonight. The victory won't be achieved immediately - we'll have to work for it tomorrow.
"Completely different, completely different from Tokyo. I was younger, with something to prove and feeling a bit angrier back then. Tonight, we have a challenging task ahead, but at least the field is closer. We need to bring our best performance to secure a spot in the final with a good lane. Otherwise, one mistake and we're out."
Peaty has spoken out against WADA for how they handled the Chinese scandal involving 23 athletes who tested positive for the heart-boosting drug TMZ but did not face any consequences.
"It feels good to leave that issue in the past and just focus on swimming. As an athlete, it's always lingering in your thoughts. You always strive for a fair competition, wanting to win honestly and be surrounded by others who share the same values. That's all I'll mention about that topic. I'm sure we all understand what we're referring to. However, we also need to remember that we have a job to do. We can't allow that issue to obstruct our path forward. So, we continue to move forward with our process."
The five-time Olympic medalist has also faced well-documented struggles with mental health, as the pressure of being a trailblazer led to feelings of isolation and a downward spiral that nearly caused him to give up numerous times.
He said: "Great. Really great. Maybe a bit too laid back, like we're not fully present. but once I did that swim, my mind started to wake up. I don't feel the need to expend too much energy here. This morning, I told coach Mel Marshall that it's all about getting down to business."
Corbeau improved his personal best time by 0.14 seconds and was happy with his performance.
"I believe I have the potential to swim even faster. This morning's practice was challenging, especially the final 10 meters. If I increase my caffeine and bicarbonate intake, I am confident I can improve my speed for tonight's swim."
"I am confident in my abilities and have believed in my skills throughout. I just need to go out there and perform. The semifinals provide the ideal opportunity for me to showcase my talent."
