\n<\/p>\n
Peaty cruised to his previous two Olympic golds, in 2016 and 2021, but has struggled with injury and his mental health since the last Games in Tokyo. <\/p>\n
He took a break from the sport and considered stopping entirely and in his absence at last year\u2019s World Championships Qin emerged as a serious rival. <\/p>\n
Qin swam a 57.69-second 100m last year, making him the second-fastest of all time behind Peaty and the quickest of anyone since Tokyo – but the Uttoxeter swimmer’s 57.94 at the British trials signalled a return to form.<\/p>\n
Although he was well adrift of that time at an electric La Defense Arena in Paris, he was the more comfortable of the two in the semi-finals and looked content as he nodded towards the big screen after beating his rivals.<\/p>\n
“If you’re Peaty watching this you’re thinking ‘this is mine tomorrow’,” said Adrian Moorhouse, Britain\u2019s 1988 gold medallist in the event.<\/p>\n
“You have got to be. Qin is not on it. The rest of the field caught him. He didn’t have enough.”<\/p>\n
Britain\u2019s James Wilby was fifth in Peaty’s race and missed out on the final.<\/p>\n
In the relays, the male British quartet qualified for the final third-fastest but were never really in contention as the United States cruised to gold, Australia took silver and Italy bronze.<\/p>\n
Matt Richards, Tom Dean and Duncan Scott, who made up the quartet along with Jacob Whittle, will be favourites to defend their 4x200m freestyle title on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Australia outclassed the US to win gold in the women’s 4x100m freestyle.<\/p>\n
That was Australia’s second gold of the night after Titmus earlier denied American Katie Ledecky an eighth Olympic gold, which would have equalled the record for a female swimmer.<\/p>\n
Canada’s 17-year-old sensation Summer McIntosh took silver and Ledecky bronze.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n