- Kaylee McKeown has successfully defended her Olympic gold medal
- Australian backstroke sensation wins thrilling final in Paris
- It provided a much-needed boost after a poor day for the Australians.
Kaylee McKeown defended her Olympic title by winning gold again in a thrilling 100m backstroke final in Paris.
On a day when the women’s rugby sevens team and shooter James Willett saw their medal hopes dashed resoundingly, McKeown kept her cool in a tight race to take the top prize.
The 23-year-old beat American world record holder Regan Smith in the final.
McKeown won in 57.33 seconds and Smith took silver in 57.66.
McKeown is only the second woman to win back-to-back 100-meter backstroke gold medals in Olympic history, after American Natalie Coughlin (2004, 2008).
“Oh Kaylee, you are just extraordinary!” gushed Giaan Rooney on Nine.
“She’s been the most dominant backstroke swimmer in the world for a number of years and it’s really a performance that deserves credit for her consistency over the last three years. Between Tokyo and now, she’s been simply incredible.”
The Queensland athlete won gold in the 100m and 200m backstroke at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
She will begin the defence of her 200m crown on Thursday with heats and semi-finals before Friday’s medal race.
McKeown has also added the 200m individual medley to her Paris programme, the final of which will be held on Saturday.
McKeown now has four gold medals in her Olympic career having also featured on the triumphant Australian women’s 4×100 medley team in Tokyo.
She is also likely to be part of Australia’s team for the combined final, which will be decided on Sunday, the final day of competition in the Paris pool.
More to follow.
Kaylee McKeown has successfully defended her Olympic gold medal in Paris
The Australian won a thrilling race in Paris and took home another gold
