McKeown becomes first Aussie to win four individual Olympic golds, as McEvoy puts Rio disappointment behind him

by Admin
August 2, 2024

Kaylee McKeown is the first Australian to win four individual Olympic gold medals after triumphing in the women’s 200m backstroke.

McKeown is also the first swimmer to successfully defend 100m and 200m backstroke titles in Olympic history.

The 23-year-old collected Australia’s 10th gold medal in Paris.

Compatriot Cameron McEvoy also won the men’s 50m freestyle gold just 10 minutes before McKeown saluted on Saturday morning (AEST).

McKeown now has five golds in her Olympic career, with a women’s 4x100m medley victory at the Tokyo Games three years ago also in her collection.

Fellow swimmer Emma McKeon holds the Australian record for most Olympic golds — she has won six, with four coming in relays.

McKeown kept her 200m backstroke title in stunning style, clocking an Olympic record time of two minutes 03.73 seconds, some 0.59 seconds shy of her world record set last year in Sydney.

McKeown was third at the midpoint and second at the final turn before powering to victory ahead of American Regan Smith (2:04.26) and Canada’s Kylie Masse (2:05.57).

The Australian ace has the opportunity to strike more gold in Paris.

She will race in the semi-finals of the 200m individual medley later this morning and boasts the event’s fastest time in the world this year.

McKeown defended her 100m backstroke crown on Wednesday morning and her victory over the longer distance gives Australia’s swim team a seventh gold medal in Paris.

Other Dolphins winners in the French capital are Ariarne Titmus (women’s 400m freestyle), the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team, Mollie O’Callaghan (women’s 200m freestyle), the women’s 4x200m freestyle team and McEvoy.

Gold medallist Cameron McEvoy celebrates after claiming the men’s 50m freestyle title at the Paris Olympics.(Getty Images: Sarah Stier)

McEvoy’s victory in the 50m freestyle is his first Olympic gold.

He is also the first Australian man to win gold in Paris.

The 30-year-old, the first Australian man to swim at four Olympics, triumphed in 21.25 seconds in the one-lap dash ahead of Great Britain’s Ben Proud (21.30) and Frenchman Florent Manaudou (21.56).

The victory helps erase his lingering disappointment from the Rio Games eight years ago when he entered the 100m freestyle medal race as hot favourite but finished seventh in a final won by compatriot Kyle Chalmers.

McEvoy took an extended break from the swimming after the Tokyo Olympics three years ago when disillusioned with the sport.

But he returned to the pool with a self-styled revolutionary training regime.

McEvoy, a physics student nicknamed “The Professor” who aspires to be an astronaut, bases his training around technical minutia in the water.

But outside the pool, he retains fitness with activities such as callisthenics and rock climbing rather than swimming endless laps.

AAP

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