- The women’s 4x100m medley team won a silver medal
- The four swimmers jumped into the pool afterwards.
- Kaylee McKeown was revealed to be behind the plan
Australia’s women’s 4x100m medley relay team put the finishing touches to Australia’s third-best Olympic swimming campaign with a wild performance.
Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon, Mollie O’Callaghan and Jenna Strauch all claimed silver in the final event of the meet and celebrated by jumping into the pool wearing their tracksuits.
If measured in gold, it is the country’s third-best result in an Olympic pool, behind the nine golds in Tokyo three years ago and the eight golds at the 1956 Melbourne Games.
Overall, the Dolphins’ 18 medals are also Australia’s third-best haul.
Number nine commentator Gian Rooney said he was shocked to see the relay team soaked and without their medals after the race.
“Whose decision was it to jump into the pool?” he asked the team.
McKeon, Strauch and O’Callaghan all gestured towards snooker queen Kaylee McKeown.
“Everyone threw me under the bus,” he laughed.
Emma McKeon, Jenna Strauch, Mollie O’Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown won silver in the women’s 4x100m medley relay on the final night of swimming at the Olympic Games.
After the medal ceremony, all four women jumped into the pool in scenes that left former Australian swimming star Giaan Rooney speechless.
“I just looked at the pool and you know who cares. Who knows if this will ever happen again.”
“It’s an amazing atmosphere and I thought why not end it with something like that.”
McKeon is now retired and remains Australia’s most successful Olympian, with a total of six golds, three silvers and five bronzes from three Games.
“It’s not something I’m really interested in,” McKeon said.
“That’s what you’re looking for… but it’s the whole journey along the way that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
O’Callaghan won three gold medals in Paris (the women’s 200m freestyle, the 4x100m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle) for a career total of five by the age of 20.
“It’s been an emotional and exhausting week,” O’Callaghan said.
It was revealed that Kaylee McKeown was behind the plan to get back in the water.
‘I need a good, long break… I need to reset so I can play again.’
And McKeown completed an impressive medal haul at her Games, winning two golds, a silver and a bronze in the French capital.
McKeown became the first swimmer to successfully defend the Olympic 100m and 200m backstroke titles.
The 23-year-old is also the first Australian swimmer to win four individual Olympic gold medals.
“I feel like I’m just getting started,” McKeown said.
“I’m not sure what next year will bring, I’ll probably take some time away from the sport just to refresh myself mentally.”
Australia recorded its third-best result in an Olympic pool at the Paris Games, and the green and gold stars relaxed as the competitive portion of their Games came to a close.
Swimming Australia head coach Rohan Taylor was proud of his Dolphins team who dealt with COVID cases throughout the meet.
“We had athletes swimming with COVID… I can’t confirm the numbers, that’s a medical matter,” Taylor said.
“We just got by. And that’s what I’m most proud of: that we took advantage of every opportunity to compete.”
Twenty-six of the 41-member Australian team leave Paris with medals, led by O’Callaghan’s hat-trick of gold, a silver and a bronze.
McKeown, Jack and Ariarne Titmus each take home two golds from their French collections.