Adam Peaty set a world record in winning his 50m breaststroke semi-final as he closes in on his second gold medal at the world championships in Kazan, having claimed victory over 100m 24 hours earlier.
Peaty’s 26.42sec eclipsed Cameron van der Burgh’s 26.63 set in the morning heats and came minutes after his Great Britain team-mate James Guy became the first British male to win a world freestyle title with victory over 200m.
The 20-year-old Peaty is already the world record holder over 100m and goes for gold over 50m, which is not an Olympic event, on Wednesday.
He said: “It was a really good race, the heats this morning were so easy, 26.68 [was] probably the easiest 50 I have ever done. I knew there was something in there but I decided to just stay relaxed, enjoy the environment, the 50m event is not an Olympic event so there is kind of no pressure. I just enjoyed what I was doing.”
Great Britain have won five swimming medals in Kazan, including two golds, having won only a solitary bronze in Barcelona two years ago. The best medal haul by British swimmers at the world championships is eight, achieved in 2003, also in Barcelona.
