(Paris) Australian Kaylee McKeown retained her 100m backstroke title on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics, where Frenchman Léon Marchand brilliantly passed the first stage of his crazy challenge to double the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke.
With a time of 57.33 seconds, McKeown beat American Regan Smith, the world record holder, 2.e in 57 sec 66.
As expected, the 100m backstroke turned into a duel between the two fastest backstrokers in the world, who have been going blow for blow in recent months.
Behind, Katharine Berkoff, 23, daughter of quadruple Olympic medalist David Berkoff, had so far only won one individual international medal in the long course, the bronze in the 100m backstroke at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka.
With this title, McKeown regains her status as the queen of the sprint, she who had her world record stolen by Smith during the American selections in June.
She thus brings Australia a fourth gold medal since the start of the swimming events, after the titles of Ariarne Titmus in the 400m freestyle, Mollie O’Callaghan in the 200m freestyle and the women’s team in the 4x100m freestyle.
PHOTO AGUSTIN MARCARIAN, REUTERS
Kaylee McKeown during the 100m backstroke final
“The Australians have had a great competition so far, with Arnie and Molly leading the way. It’s quite emotional to see my team-mates…” said McKeown, who is also hoping to retain her 200m backstroke title.
The revelation of the season at 23 years old, the Irishman Daniel Wiffen brought his country its first Olympic gold since Michelle Smith in 1996, thanks to his victory in the final of the 800m freestyle.
With a new Olympic record (7 min 38 sec 19), he dethroned the reigning Olympic champion, the American Bobby Finke, while the experienced Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri took bronze.
Wiffen had already taken control of the series on Monday morning, crowned with a double world crown won last February in Doha (800 and 1500 m).
“I’m not coming back from Paris without a medal,” he proclaimed to the BBC in June. A successful bet.
He will also be competing in the 1500m as well as the 10km open water event scheduled in the Seine.
Pole 100m
In the third final of the evening, the British won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay, ahead of the Americans and the Australians.
The day was also marked by the crazy – and successful – bet of the Frenchman Léon Marchand.
Fresh from winning the Olympic 400m medley, he will be aiming for two new medals on Wednesday, after brilliantly qualifying for the finals of the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke.
PHOTO SEBASTIEN BOZON, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Leon Marchand
On Wednesday, he will have only two hours to recover between the two races, in which he can aim for two titles. However, he will have a lot to do in butterfly against the unpredictable Hungarian Kristof Milak, world record holder for the distance. And in breaststroke, he will have to be wary of the Australian Zac Stubblety-Cook, reigning Olympic champion.
Tuesday evening’s session was also punctuated by the semi-finals of the 100m freestyle, the traditional premier race in swimming.
In the men’s race, China’s Pan Zhanle dominated his opponents over a distance for which he holds the world record, while Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, the reigning Olympic vice-champion, set the fastest time.