Star Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown has defended her 100m backstroke Olympic crown with a thrilling win in the Paris final on Wednesday morning (AEST).
The 23-year-old, who won gold in both the 100 and 200m backstoke at Tokyo 2020, was a class above at Paris La Défense Arena, storming home to beat American pair Regan Smith and Katharaine Berkoff with an Olympic record and personal best time of 57.33.
World record-holding Smith was McKeown’s greatest threat, and had a dangerous lead with about 40 metres left to swim, but couldn’t hold off the tenacious Aussie, whose final 30 metres was blinding.
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“Australia’s warrior wins again! What an effort, what a champion — she was under siege,” Mat Thompson said on commentary for Nine.
“That is as good as it gets. Kaylee McKeown, that was earth-shattering.”
Smith finished second in 57.66, while Berkoff, who also led the race at one stage, was third in 57.98.
Fellow Aussie Iona Anderson, replacing Mollie O’Callaghan who qualified as the second fastest Aussie but pulled out of the final, finished fifth in 58.98.
Speaking before the race, Australian swimming great Giaan Rooney said McKeown was a force to be reckoned with.
“I don’t think people realise how dominant she has been in backstroke for some years now,” Rooney told Nine.
“She’s just an extraordinary athlete. She finds a way to get her hand on the wall first, and I believe she’ll do that again tonight.”
Chalmers safely through to 100m freestyle final
Earlier, Kyle Chalmers produced a sizzling second lap to win his 100m freestyle semi-final in 47.58, just 0.03 seconds ahead of Hungary’s Nandor Nemeth.
Hometown hero Maxime Grousset touched the wall third a further 0.02 seconds back, in 47.63.
The Australian gave himself some work to do in the second 50 metres after turning in fourth, but reeled in the field beautifully to qualify for Thursday morning’s final (AEST).
Fellow Aussie William Yang finished eight in the same race, hitting the wall in 48.42.
In the second semi, China’s Pan Zhanle qualified fastest in 47.21, which was 0.37 ahead of Chalmers in second.
“(I) did what I needed to do. It’s hard being in the first semi, you have to deliver a solid performance, but it’s pretty easy with a crowd like this,” Chalmers told Nine after the race.
Asked about the final, Chalmers said: “It’s going to be a big challenge, obviously there are three guys that now have a faster PB than I do, so it’s to take a lot to be there (in contention) tomorrow night, but I’m going to do everything I possibly can to be there.
“Just to be there again in the Olympic final is very special. To be an Olympian is very rare, to make a final is even rarer, so I’m really proud and I gave my absolute everything tonight and I’ll give my everything tomorrow night for my country and try to make everyone proud.”
Winnington falls short in 800m final
Immediately after McKeown’s epic victory, it was Aussie Elijah Winnington’s turn for his attempt at gold.
The 24-year-old was a step off the pace in the 800m final, finishing eighth in a time of 7:48.36.
He was about 10 seconds behind Irish winner Daniel Wiffen, whose Olympic record of 7:38.19 saw him seal gold.