Kaylee McKeown completes backstroke double with 200m gold

She successfully defended both backstroke titles, setting an Olympic record time of 2:03.73 at La Defense Arena, surpassing her American rival Regan Smith. McKeown now holds four Olympic gold medals in individual events, a feat achieved by only a few swimmers.

She expressed her disbelief at her accomplishments, stating that she never imagined reaching this level. The Australian swimmer credited her sister, Emily Seebohm, and training partners like Emma McKeon and Molly O'Callaghan for inspiring and motivating her.

Despite Smith settling for silver once again, McKeown's dominance in the backstroke events remains unchallenged. Kylie Masse of Canada secured the bronze, adding to her impressive collection of Olympic medals.

The history of Olympic women's backstroke has seen remarkable swimmers, but McKeown's achievement of the "double-double" sets her apart from the rest.

McKeown managed to secure her place as the second swimmer to achieve this feat in over 50 years, following in the footsteps of Roland Matthes, the East German swimmer known as the "Rolls Royce," who accomplished this back-to-back in 1968-1972.

A stealthy swimmer who typically lurks behind her competitors, McKeown surprised many by taking an early lead and maintaining it for most of the first 50m.

Acknowledging her nerves, she admitted, "I may have started my race a bit too aggressively. I was quite anxious before tonight's event."

Despite starting strong, McKeown eventually settled into her usual position in the middle of the pack.

Smith, on the other hand, should have known better than to challenge McKeown from the front, yet she attempted to do so.

The 22-year-old swimmer from Minnesota briefly took the lead but was overtaken by McKeown towards the end, continuing her streak of dominance.

McKeown has now become Australia's first Olympian to claim four gold medals in individual events, surpassing legendary names like Dawn Fraser, Ian Thorpe, and Betty Cuthbert.

Her victory marked Australia's seventh gold medal of the competition, following teammate Cameron McEvoy's triumph in the men's 50m freestyle just moments before.

Reflecting on her performance, McKeown shared, "I pushed myself at the start and managed to maintain my position until the end."

Looking ahead, she is likely to be chosen for Australia's relay team in the mixed medley final on Saturday, with her main events now behind her, allowing her to enjoy the upcoming races.

SportsLigue