Swimming: Hannah Miley claims silver while Adam Peaty impresses
By Mark Crellin
Last Updated: 16/05/16 10:21pm
Britain's Hannah Miley claimed a silver medal in the 400m individual medley as the European Championships in London got underway on Monday.
The Scot took second place behind Katinka Hosszu of Hungary, while Adam Peaty impressed in qualifying for the 100m breaststroke final.
The meeting is a step along the way to the Olympics in Rio this summer and Miley earned Britain's first medal of the championships in 4mins 35.27secs.
However, that was two seconds slower than the time a rested Miley set at April's British Championships in Glasgow, which doubled up as the Olympic trials.
Hosszu won in 4:30.90 and Miley said: "It is always hard coming into these championships when you are not 100 per cent fresh.
"Your ego gets bashed a bit because you want to swim fast, but it is not as easy as if you were fresh and ready to race.
"It is a big confidence booster and it is nice to know that I am the second best in Europe.
"I was not expecting to do the time that I did at the trials, to get anywhere near that was a bonus."
Peaty and Ross Murdoch advanced to the men's 100m breaststroke final after swimming the fastest times in the semis.
World record holder Peaty, who won the European title in 2014 and world gold last year, clocked 58.74 seconds in his semi-final, with Murdoch winning his in 59.67secs.
Peaty said: "It didn't feel particularly great, but 58.7 is only 0.3 off the old world record (set by South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh in winning gold at London 2012).
"I'm in a good place right now, I can feel the strength on top of my stroke.
"I'm in full training, but I can still back up these 58s, which is a very good sign."
Fran Halsall was the fastest qualifier in advancing to the women's 50m butterfly final in 25.35 and Ben Proud progressed second quickest in the corresponding men's event, in 23.42.
