Four additional medals for Australian swimmers at the Olympics, led by Kaylee McKeown.
K McKeown Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
On Saturday, the Australian swimming team, the Dolphins, added to their already impressive medal count at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by winning gold, silver, and two bronze medals.
Female swimmers Kaylee McKeown and Ariarne Titmus both won two medals: McKeown in the women’s 200 metre backstroke and Titmus in the women’s 800 metre freestyle.
Emily Seebohm, a veteran swimmer from Australia, placed third in the backstroke, just behind silver medalist Kylie Masse of Canada and gold medalist Jessica McKeown of the United States.
It was the first time in Olympic history that men and women swam on the same relay team, and the Australian relay team capped up their medal sweep with a bronze in the event.
McKeown, at only twenty years old, had already proven her backstroke superiority earlier in the week by winning gold in the 100-meter race. McKeown was in second place behind Masse for the majority of the 200 metres, but she quickly passed her on the final lap and crossed the finish line in a time that was almost an Olympic record.
Katie Ledecky beat her Competitor Titmus in the Women’s 800 Metre Race.
While the Australian made a late run, the American held on to finish more than a second clear of Titmus. With Ledecky’s victory, the duo has now won two gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics between them.
Titmus commented, “I’m incredibly glad that I could perform when it mattered.” After the tournament, she had won two gold medals, one silver medal, and a bronze medal in the relay. Sad that my campaign in Tokyo is gone, but glad it’s over now. Nonetheless, I am pleased with my performance this week.
Titmus proclaimed her excitement at finishing third in an event that Ledecky had dominated for the past decade.
The Phrase “I’d Love to have a Pleasant Break” was Spoken by Her.
Her coach, Dean Boxall, and I will discuss our next steps. My shoulder, in particular, needs a break and some time to rest and recuperate. I hate to admit it, but I need some time away from the pool to consider what it is I’ve accomplished here before I can properly energise myself for the upcoming season.
On Saturday, Australia’s relay dominance at Tokyo 2020 continued when the Dolphins won their fifth relay medal with two relays yet to go. McKeown, Zac Stubblety-Cook, Matthew Temple, and Emma McKeon gave Australia a sufficient margin of victory over a late-charging United States squad; McKeon even managed to outsprint the American sprinting phenom Caeleb Dressel.
A strategic conundrum was presented to teams in this event since they had to use four swimmers total (two men and two women), but they could choose whatever sequence they liked.
Dressel of the United States set a new world record and won the men’s 100-meter butterfly final, while Matthew Temple of Australia finished tied for fifth.
McKeon, an Australian swimmer, set a new Olympic record in the meet’s final semi-final by swimming the 50-meter freestyle in 24.19 seconds. Her fellow countrywoman Cate Campbell, who qualified in sixth place, will also be competing. Both women qualified easily for the final of the 100-meter freestyle on Friday and finished first and third, so they will be among the favourites to win the race.
Conclusion
On Sunday morning, the Tokyo 2020 Swimming Championships will end with a flurry of medal action. Each gender will compete in a 50-meter freestyle splash and dash before the men’s endurance 1500-meter freestyle. Both the men’s and women’s 4×100 medley relays will close up the competition.
