(Reuters) – Australia’s Kaylee McKeown successfully defended her Olympic 100 metres backstroke title at the Paris Games yesterday, edging out American world record holder Regan Smith in a dominant win in the final at La Defense Arena.
McKeown touched the wall in an Olympic record time of 57.33 seconds, 0.33 seconds ahead of silver medallist Smith. American Katharine Berkoff took the bronze.
The 23-year-old McKeown became Australia’s first woman to win Olympic backstroke gold at Tokyo and three years later she is the first to go back-to-back.
She now boasts four Olympic gold medals and may add another when she defends her 200m backstroke gold in Paris.
Unbeaten by Smith at major events in recent years, McKeown again showed herself the ultimate big stage performer, trusting in her closing speed to reel in any rival.
So it proved again.
She trailed Canada’s Kylie Masse, Smith and Berkoff at the 50-metre mark but found another gear as the leaders faltered to hand the Australian team their fourth gold of the meet.
Smith came into the Olympics in red-hot form, rejuvenated under coach Bob Bowman and having snatched McKeown’s world record at Olympic trials last month.
McKeown and her coach Michael Bohl shrugged off the result, reasoning that the Australian’s experience and racing instincts would carry the day.
