Kevin Cordes 50 Breast World Championships Post Race Interview

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MEN’S 50M BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

2013 World Champion: Cameron Van Der Burgh, RSA – 26.77
World Record: 26.42 – Adam Peaty, GBR – 2015
Championship Record: 26.42 – Adam Peaty, GBR – 2015

GOLD: Adam Peaty, GBR – 26.51
SILVER: Cameron Van Der Burgh, RSA – 26.66
BRONZE: Kevin Cordes, USA – 26.86

Adam Peaty continues to push the boundaries of reaction time with a legal .57 off the blocks en route to a 26.51 in the men’s 50 breaststroke final.

While the swim didn’t break his semi-finals World Record of 26.42, it is the second-fastest swim in history. This is the same pattern we saw from him at last year’s European Championships, his big break-through, where he broke the record in the semi’s, then back-slid on time, but still won gold, in the finals.

The swim beat out South African and defending champion Cameron van der Burgh (26.66) for the victory.
American Kevin Cordes earned bronze with a 26.86, which is a tenth slower than his American Record swim in the semi-finals. In eight editions of the 50 breaststroke at the World Championships, since 2001, the Americans have now won four minor medals, but not a single gold.

With two of the three defending medalists (Rickard and Zorzi were the others beside van der Burgh) not participating, this final was a reset of the global sprint breaststroke field, with the young Peaty at the top. The rest of the A-final, though, was mostly by chalk. Brazil’s Felipe Franca palced 4th in 26.87 He’s the 2011 champ), and then there was a big drop-off to Damir Dugonjic and Giedrius Titenis, who tied for 5th in 27.23.
New Zealand’s Glenn Snyders (27.36) and Serbia’s Caba Siladi (27.45) took 8th.