'It did suck a little bit': Kaylee McKeown opens up after 200m medley after disqualification lands Aussie bronze
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Kaylee McKeown has missed out on becoming just the second Australian swimmer in history to win three individual gold medals in one Olympics after she snatched bronze thanks to a dramatic disqualification in the women's 200m individual medley.
Coming off golds in the 100m and 200m backstroke, McKeown had been looking to match Shane Gould's effort from Munich 1972, but was unable to repeat her heroics from the night before and touched in fourth place.
But she was elevated to the podium after American Alex Walsh, who had finished in third, was disqualified for an illegal turn going into the breaststroke leg – the very same blunder that denied McKeown a place in the final at last year's world championships.
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Kaylee McKeown has missed out on a third individual gold medal in Paris, but still claimed bronze in the 200m IM. Adam Pretty/Getty Images
While it was a cruel blow to the US star, swimming legend Ian Thorpe said Walsh could have no complaints.
"It is (the right call)," he said in commentary for Nine.
"The majority of you has to be on your back when you touch the wall to be able to flip over to do the breaststroke, that is the rule.
"I have seen Kaylee do (the same mistake) at the world championships."
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Speaking on Nine's TODAY in the wake of her bronze medal, McKeown spoke about racing out of the widest lane and how it impacted her chances.
"It gave me the opportunity to just race my own race tonight - but it did suck a little bit because I breathe to the other side, so I couldn't really see the other girls," she said.
"At the end of the day, I'm just proud to be in that final - I didn't think I would be able to do that. I'm just proud of myself for adding to my event list.
"A lot of the other girls in that final were heavily fatigued as well and not going in there fresh. That was a little bit of an advantage that helped me mentally get through it.
"I've got the best coach in the world … he sat me down and told me to put my balls on the line and I feel like I've done that."
Canadian superstar Summer McIntosh finished with the gold medal after setting a new Olympic record, while American Kate Douglass took silver.
McKeown's fellow Australian Ella Ramsey had been forced to withdraw from the final after contracting COVID-19.
