Adam Ramsay-Peaty, 50 Breast World Record Holder, Misses Semi-Finals At The European Championships
2026 European Swimming Championships
Men’s 50m Breaststroke Heats
Top 16 Qualifiers:
- Simone CERASUOLO (ITA) – 26.20
- Nicolo MARTINENGHI (ITA) – 26.65
- Melvin IMOUDU (GER) – 26.84
- Koen DE GROOT (NED) – 26.85
- Ilya SHYMANOVICH (NAA) – 26.89
- Ivan KOZHAKIN (NAB) – 26.96
- Kirill PRIGODA (NAB) – 26.99
- Valentin BAYER (AUT) – 27.06
- Stepan BABENKO (UKR) – 27.08
- Nusrat ALLAHVERDI (TUR) – 27.12
- Jan Malte GRAFE (GER) – 27.15
- Carl AITKACI (FRA) – 27.17
- Luka MLADENOVIC (AUT) – 27.22
- Volodymyr LISOVETS (UKR) – 27.23
- Andrius SIDLAUSKAS (LTU) – 27.26
- Aleksas SAVICKAS (LTU) – 27.29
Adam Ramsay-Peaty finished 0.05 seconds behind the final qualifier for the men’s 50 breast semi-finals at the European Championships this morning, clocking a time of 27.34 to place 20th overall.
He touched in 8th in the first of the circle-seeded heats, lagging behind the field after the start and never quite getting back into the race. He ended on a glide into the wall as well, which proved crucial in him missing out.
This was the first time at a senior international meet that Ramsay-Peaty has failed to make the final in the 50 breaststroke. His previous lowest finish was at the 2024 World Championships where he finished 4th in 26.77. He won bronze at the Commonwealth Games last month in 26.92, and has a season best of 26.64.
Ramsay-Peaty won four titles in a row between 2014 and 2021, breaking the world record in 2014 with a 26.62 in the semi-finals. He has since lowered that mark to 25.95, clocked at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest, and set the European Championships record at 26.09 in 2018.
Ramsay-Peaty had already finished off the podium for just the second time ever at a European Championships here, placing 5th in the 100 breaststroke on day 2. He was 59.10 in the final, having set a season best of 58.94 in the semi-final, but he appeared to be leaning more on his back end in that race than he normally does.
Compared to his splits in Glasgow last month, where he was 27.40/31.79 in the semi-finals and 27.21/32.44 in the final, he was 27.59/31.49, 27.53/31.41, and 27.75/31.35 here in Paris.
Ramsay-Peaty will have just the men’s 4×100 medley relay remaining this week. He swam the breaststroke leg of the mixed 4×100 medley relay on day 2, splitting 59.10 as Great Britain finished 4th.
