Commonwealth Games: Adam Peaty beaten for first time in four years

Adam Peaty had to settle for silver in the 50m breaststroke PICTURE: Getty

After retaining the 100m title on Saturday, completing four years unbeaten over two lengths, Peaty spoke about going through the rest of his career undefeated, and was bidding to triumph in the one-length dash for the first time at the Commonwealth Games.

Bu, by his own admission, double Olympic champion Peaty has not been at his best this meet and South Africa’s Van der Burgh, the Glasgow 2014 champion, led throughout to touch first in 26.58 seconds as Peaty finished 0.04secs behind. England’s James Wilby won his third individual breaststroke medal, with bronze in 27.37. Scotland’s Euan Inglis was seventh.

Peaty’s time in the semi-final would have won him gold but he was always going to be vulnerable in the shorter distance against the explosive starting Van der Burgh, who has now won this distance at three successive Commonwealth Games.

Earlier, Scotland’s Camilla Hattersley finished a creditable fifth in the women’s 800m, a place above Jazz Carlin of Wales, whose defence ended in a disappointing sixth behind another Aussie 1-2-3 led by Ariarne Titmus.

There was soon to be better news for Wales when Alys Thomas won a shock women’s 200 metres butterfly title.

The 26-year-old was the fastest qualifier and lived up to that billing, finishing in two minutes 05.45 seconds, a Games record.

Australians Laura Taylor and Emma McKeon were second and third.

Chad le Clos of South Africa made history as he won the men’s 200m butterfly, with England’s James Guy in silver. It was Le Clos’s 16th Commonwealth Games medal, which took him beyond the record he had equallied with the great Australian Susie “Madame Butterfly” O’Neill.