Kaylee McKeown has swum into uncharted waters in Australian Olympic history, becoming the first athlete across any sport to win four individual gold medals after adding the 200m Backstroke title to her growing collection in Paris.
In defeating America’s Regan Smith and Canada’s Kylie Masse, Kaylee also became just the second female swimmer in Olympic history to complete the ‘double-double’ after she won the 100m-200m Backstroke titles in Tokyo. The other was Ukrainian Yana Khlockova who won the 200m-400m medleys in 2000-2004.
No swimmer, male or female, has successfully defended the backstroke double. The Queenslander is leaving records in her wake at a rapid rate and she still has more racing to go in a challenging program at La Défense Arena.
Smith is a formidable foe and took the race out hard. If Kaylee wanted another gold, she was going to earn it the hard way.
She set about the chase in the second 100m, then levelled up and pulled away towards the end, winning in a new Olympic record of 2:03.73, ahead of Smith (2:04.26) and Masse, who kicked for bronze in 2:05.57.
“I probably took my race out a little bit too hard, I was a little bit nervous tonight. I'm not one who gets overly nervous, probably more anxious, so I went out hard and just held on for dear life,” Kaylee said.
When asked if she could have ever imagined owning four individual gold medals, surpassing the likes of Ian Thorpe, Dawn Fraser, Shane Gould, Betty Cuthbert, Murray Rose, Jess Fox and Ariarne Titmus, she said: “Not in a million years.
“Growing up I just idolised my sister (Olympic swimmer Taylor) and Emily Seebohm and seeing what they do in the sport.
“And training alongside Emma McKeon, one of the greats of the sport, I couldn’t ask for much more. It gives me so much motivation seeing those girls. It’s just great to be a part of that.”
Kaylee’s strike rate in Olympic racing is perfect. She has won a medal in every single event she has contested and still has two medley relays and the 200m IM to go in Paris.
She had little left in the tank for the semis of that event, less than an hour after her backstroke final, but did enough to progress to the final with a swim of 2:09.97, where she meets stiff competition in Canada’s teenaged star Summer McIntosh and Alex Walsh from the USA.
Rising Dolphins star Ella Ramsay (2:10.16) also made the final, with the Aussie pair qualifying seventh and eighth.
“I didn’t think I would make the final so I’m super stoked to be a part of that and just have fun with it tomorrow. My main events are out of the way,” Kaylee said.
Twin golds have given Australia seven in the pool to lead the medal tally ahead of France, whose four golds have all come from the majestic Leon Marchand. The USA has four gold medals with two days of competition remaining.
Phil Lutton
