CW Games: Peaty extends golden streak, le Clos makes history

GOLD COAST: England powerhouse Adam Peaty extended his remarkable 100 metres breaststroke winning streak as Chad le Clos claimed a historic third consecutive butterfly title at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games on Saturday.

Peaty, 23, the Olympic, world and European champion, completed a four-year unbeaten cycle in his signature event but was critical of his performance in the outdoor Gold Coast pool.

Elsewhere on the third night of swimming, Canada’s world record-holder Kylie Masse won a thrilling 100m backstroke final, Australia’s Cate Campbell clocked another record in winning the 50m free, South African Tatjana Schoenmaker captured the 200m breaststroke and Australia won the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay in a Games record. Perfectionist Peaty found fault, saying he wasn’t in control of his race.

"I won but even though it’s a gold medal, four years undefeated and it completed the circle, I’m not happy with that performance because it’s not the best version of me," Peaty said. "It was the first time ever where I felt not in control of my race and I let the event get to me too much, thinking about the end result instead of the process. I feel it’s the pressure I add on myself." World record-holder Peaty’s time of 58.84secs was outside the Games record he set in the semi-finals. The all-action Englishman, who shattered his own world record with 57.13sec in winning Olympic gold at Rio two years ago, remains unconquered in the 100m breaststroke since storming to gold at Glasgow four years ago. Team-mate James Wilby, who won the 200m breaststroke gold on Thursday, finished strongly for second in 59.43secs, with South Africa’s former world record-holder Cameron van der Burgh third in 59.44secs.

Elsewhere South Africa’s four-time butterfly world champion le Clos became the first man to win three consecutive gold medals in the same event at the Commonwealth Games with a storming victory in the 200 fly. Le Clos swam a Games-record 1:54.00 for his second gold of the meet, his sixth career Commonwealth win and 14th medal overall.