NANTERRE – Kaylee McKeown still rules the women’s Olympic backstroke.
The Australian knocked off world-record holder Regan Smith of the United States in the 100 back on Tuesday night, defending the title she won at the Tokyo Games.
Smith, who broke McKeown’s world mark with a time of 57.13 seconds at the U.S. trials last month, led at the turn but couldn’t hold off the hard-charging Aussie, who defended the title she won in Tokyo three years ago.
McKeown surged to the front about halfway through the return lap and reached for the wall in 57.33, winning by a relatively comfortable margin over Smith’s finish of 57.66.
The U.S. also grabbed the bronze as Katharine Berkoff touched third in 57.98.
Smith reached over the lane rope to congratulate McKeown, but this one had to sting. The 22-year-old Minnesota native appeared to be in top form after her performance and primed to win the first gold medal of her career.
Instead, it was McKeown capturing her fourth gold. She swept the backstroke events in Tokyo and also claimed a gold in a relay.
Irish gold
Daniel Wiffen won Ireland’s first gold medal in swimming since scandal-plagued Michelle Smith finished first in three events at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Wiffen surged past Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri on the final lap, looking as fresh as he did at the beginning of the grueling race.
Wiffen won in 7 minutes, 38.19 seconds, climbing on the lane ropes to hold one finger skyward. Defending Olympic champion Bobby Finke also came on strong in what was essentially a three-man race, also passing Paltrinieri to take the silver in 7:38.75.
The bronze went to the Italian, who posted a time of 7:39.38.
It was another dazzling performance by an Irish swimmer, on the heels of Mona McSharry grabbing a bronze in the 100 breaststroke the previous night.
Until these Olympics, the country’s swimming history was essentially confined to Smith, who surprisingly claimed three golds and a bronze in 1996 amid suspicions she was doping. She later receiving a four-year doping ban that essentially ended her career, but she kept her medals from Atlanta.
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