Angharad Evans Shatters British 100 Breaststroke Record In 1:05.54 At The AP London International
Angharad Evans shattered the British 100m breaststroke record in 1:05.54 (31.02; 34.52) over the weekend at the three-day AP Race London International, part of the growing stable of brands and positive projects unfolding in the name of Adam Peaty.
The standard had stood to retired Molly Renshaw at 1:06.21 since 2021. Evans, coached at the University of Stirling by Steve Tigg and team had threatened the mark a few times this season. The dam broke at the London Aquatics Centre on Sunday with the first sub-1:06 by a Brit.
In the Vortex: other meet news from the weekend, including the Grand Challenge in Irvine, the Canet round of the Mare Nostrum Tour and the wrap of Irish Open and Olympic Trials:
Evans Throws Her Hat Into The Discretion Hat For Paris
Evans’ career best had stood at 1:06.25 since the Edinburgh International in March. At Olympic trials last month, she clocked 1:06.54, just shy of the 1:06.31 Games cut for the solo event but she is now likely to race both that and the medley relay in Paris, additional swims by teamsters all at the discretion of performance director and coach.
Nearest to Evans (photo right) were Dutch 200 ace Tes Schouten, 1:06.93, and Estonian No1 Eneli Jefimova, 1:06.98. In the 200m, Schouten shone in 2:22.08 ahead of Evans, 2:25.41, and Jefimova, 2:27.01.
On Saturday, Isabel Gose, of Germany, came within a second of her best (4:02.39) in the 400m free, her 4:03.18 pace drawing the Czech Republic’s Barbora Seemanova to a national record of 4:03.41, a chunk inside her previous standard of 4:06.09 from last year.
On Sunday, Gose took the 1500m in 16:00.20 ahead of 15-year-old Amelie Blocksidge (16:21.10) and Fleur Lewis (16:22.85)., while Seemanova dominated the 200m free.
Converting the speed underpinning that 400 progress, she set another Czech Republic record, of 1:55.12 (56.05; 59.07) ahead of Brits Freya Colbert, 1:57.36, and Abbie Wood, 1:57.97. Seemanova’s standard had stood at 1:55.45 since the Tokyo Olympics in 202one.
Colbert backed up her 1:57 with a 4:38.56 win the the 400IM ahead off 2016 triple Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu (4:43.66) and Hungarian teammate Zsuzsanna Jakabos (4:46.83).
AP at the AP Race International
The man with his name on the billboard clocked 59.54 in the 100m breaststroke, Olympic champion of 2016 and 2020ne an World record holder (56.88), Adam Peaty adrift the top two Dutchmen, double Olympic silver medallist (100 and 200m) Arno Kamminga on 58.96, Casper Corbeau on 59.18.
Peaty clocked 57.94 for the fastest time in the world so far this year at Olympic Trials in April.
Into The Light – Part 1 – & Back From A Battle To Be The Best Adam Peaty Can Be At Paris 2024
Into The Light – Part 2 – Peaty On Gratitude For His Gift, Peace & The Paris Passion Show
Kamminga also topped the dash, in 27.05, 0.01 ahead of Melvin Imoudu, who will become a German pioneer in Paris, with Peaty third in 27.16.
Among Brit stars keeping in touch with racing and supporting the AP meet at a time when the last slug of hefty work is underway was World 200m free champion of 2023 and Olympic trials winner last month (image right), Matt Richards, topped the 100 free in 48.93 after 48.81 in heats. Duncan Scott was close, on 49.09, their fellow Olympic 4x100m free teamster set to make his Olympic debut in Paris, Alex Cohoon, on 49.25, after 49.18 in heats that featured a 48.93 from the Czech Republic’s Daniel Gracik, who did not race in the final.
Scott backed up with a 1:58.18 win in the 200IM, Germany’s Cedric Buessing, 2:00.39, and the winner’s Britain teammate Joe Litchfield, 2:01.56, closest.
Other highlights of the meet that concludes Monday, a (national) Bank Holiday in Britain, included:
Women:
50 free: Anna Hopkin (GBR) 24.73,
50 back: Lauren Cox (GBR) 27.84
100 back: Kathleen Dawson, 1:00.27; Lauren Cox , 1:00.54
50 ‘fly: Angelina Kohler (GER) 26.16.
200 ‘fly: Keanna MacInnes (GBR) 2:08.54,
Men:
50 free: Kenzo Simons (NED) 22.11; Artem Selin (GER) 22.20; Matt Richards (GBR), 22.28
400 free: Oliver Klemet (GER) 3:47.26; Florian Wellbrock (GER) 3:48.82
1500 free: Florian Wellbrock (GER) – 14:49.18, 1500 free
50 back Oliver Morgan (GBR) 25.02
200 back: Oliver Morgan (GBR) 2:00.05, 200 back
100 ‘fly: Daniel Gracik (POL) 51.87, career best, James Guy (GBR) 52.59
200 ‘fly: Joe Litchfield (GBR) 1:57.71
400IM: Cedric Buessing (GER) 4:13.92, 400IM