Team GB men fastest into medley relay final

The Team GB quartet of Chris Walker-Hebborn, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Duncan Scott dominated the 4x100m Medley Relay heats to qualify fastest into the final in a British record 3:30.47.

Walker-Hebborn got the team off to a great start with a strong backstroke leg. Olympic champion Peaty then pulled away from the pack, putting clear water between him and the rest of the field and turning 1.76 seconds ahead at the half way mark. No one could catch the Brits as Guy and Scott produced fast swims to keep the lead.

The decisive victory means the team go into the final 2.1 seconds ahead of the USA, with Russia qualifying third fastest.

Peaty commented: “Definitely my swim was very relaxed, I wasn’t really pushing that first 50m or last 50m so it was a bit reserved but hopefully tomorrow that will drop down quite a bit. It is the fastest relay breaststroke split I have done and there are lots more to come tomorrow night.” 

Women’s quartet book their place in the final

The Team GB women also made it through to the 4x100m Medley Relay final. The quartet of Georgia Davies, Chloe Tutton, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor and Georgia Coates clocked a time of 3:59.54 to finish fifth in their heat and go through as eighth fastest qualifiers.

Davies gave the team a strong start, swimming just outside her lifetime best at the cross over. Tutton, who was just outside the medals in the 200m Breaststroke final yesterday, had a strong swim to move the team into second place. Olympic silver medallist O’Connor kept the pace, with City of Leeds’ Coates holding her own to finish.

Halsall eases into sprint semi-final

Fran Halsall dominated heat 11 of the 50m Freestyle. The Commonwealth champion touched first in 24.26 to progress through to the semi-final second fastest behind Denmark’s Pernille Blume (24.23).

The Loughborough University swimmer said: “I have had a great preparation, I didn’t come into the village until four days ago. I was excited but not as excited as being in this arena. I kept my emotions low and I feel really good. I have had the best season I could have possibly had.

“I have been as professional as I can be, stayed on top of things, stayed on top of illness and done everything my coach has asked me to do.

“If I get the result great, if I don’t it is because other people are better than me on the day. I feel really relaxed with that and I am here just to see what I can do.

“That felt great and I was really happy with it. If I can move through the rounds, move through the semi-final, all that matters is the final and in the final it is me against seven other girls and it is going to be close.”

Olympic debut for Shuttleworth

Loughborough University’s Tim Shuttleworth made his Olympic debut in the 1500m Freestyle heats.

The 19-year-old started strongly, turning second after the first 50m and matching David Davies’ 2004 British record time through 400m. But he wasn’t able to hold on to the field and fell back to touch in 15:13.01.