Tokyo Olympics 2021: Australia's swimming gold medallists at this century's Games
Tokyo 2021: Australian women's 4x100m medley relay
Emma McKeon, Chelsea Hodges, Kaylee McKeown and Cate Campbell celebrate after winning the gold medal and breaking the Olympic record for the women's 4x100m medley relay at the Tokyo Olympics. And well they might.
Australia - Kaylee McKeown, Chelsea Hodges, McKeon and Cate Campbell - clocked 3:51.60 to beat the USA (3:51.73) in heart-stopping fashion. Canada was third (3:52.60). Campbell swam an epic final freestyle leg and it capped another stunning day for McKeon, who had already won the 50m freestyle in an Olympic record time before swimming the butterfly leg.
It was McKeon's fourth gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics, a feat that has never before been achieved by an Australian at a single Games. She surpassed greats like Murray Rose, Ian Thorpe, Shane Gould, Petria Thomas, Stephanie Rice and Betty Cuthbert (all three)."I haven't realised it. It's very surreal. The whole week I've been kind of keeping my emotions at a certain level because I knew I had so much more racing to do," McKeon said.
"It's very surreal to be in that kind of company, and I don't usually say things like this but I came here, I wanted gold. I wanted to come here and win.
"That's what Bohly [coach Michael Bohl] and I have worked so hard for and what we've had our eyes on and so for it to be finished now and I've got four of them, I can't believe it."
McKeon now has 11 Olympic medals in total, an Australian record. She matched Thorpe's Australian record of five Olympic swimming gold medals, the most by an Aussie in any sport, and surpassed the four won by Dawn Fraser. It was a third gold of the Games for backstroke star McKeown and a second for veteran Campbell.
Australia had now won nine gold medals in the pool at Tokyo. That made it our greatest Olympic swimming haul, home or away, outdoing Melbourne 1956.
McKeon, 27 became the first female swimmer to win seven medals at a single Olympics, breaking a tie with Germany's Kristin Otto and American Natalie Coughlin. With No.7, she also tied Soviet gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya (Helsinki 1952) for the most medals at a single Games by any female athlete.
Tokyo 2021: Emma McKeon, 50m freestyle
Emma McKeon poses with her 50m freestyle gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, having swum an Olympic record in the event with all three swims.
McKeon clocked 23.81 to beat Sweden's Sarah Sjoestroem (24.07). Denmark's Pernille Plume, the defending champion, was third (24.21).
The victory gave McKeon a 50-100 Olympic double. She joined Inge de Bruijn and Britta Steffen as the only female swimmers to achieve the feat, plus legends Matt Biondi and Alex Popov in men's swimming. It was just one way in which she rewrote the record books.
McKeon became Australia's most decorated Olympian, in terms of total medals, surpassing fellow swimming greats Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones with her 10th medal. After the 50m final, she had three gold in Tokyo, matching greats like Murray Rose, Ian Thorpe, Shane Gould, Petria Thomas, Stephanie Rice and Betty Cuthbert with that haul at a single Games.
McKeon was stunned by her success in the Games' shortest race. It was completely at odds with most of her swimming career. Pure speed over 50m is not necessarily something that can be learned. Victory perhaps should not have been possible - but she went out and made it so in emphatic fashion.
"I really can't [believe it]. I never thought that I would win a 50 freestyle because I've been training for the 200 my whole life," McKeon said afterwards.
"But I knew after my 100 was so good and I've been training so well, I definitely had that belief in myself and I knew I could go out there if I put it all together, and I knew I could win."
Tokyo 2021: Kaylee McKeown, 200m backstroke
Gold medalist Kaylee McKeown and bronze medalist Emily Seebohm pose on the podium after a glorious 200m backstroke at the Tokyo Olympics.
McKeown sealed a historic golden double, having already won the 100m, clocking 2:04.68 out in lane two to beat Canada's Kylie Masse (2:05.42). Seebohm swam 2:06.17 for third.
Australia had previously won only a single Olympic medal in the 200m event: a bronze to Nicole Stevenson back at Barcelona 1992. McKeown became Australia's first Olympic gold medallist in both backstroke events; obviously making her the first Aussie to win both at a single Games.
"It's a pretty unreal morning, to be honest," McKeown said on pool deck.
Seebohm placed McKeown's gold medal around her neck on the podium and the younger swimmer then invited the veteran to join her on the top step.
"She deserved to be on that gold medal podium as much as I did. It meant the world to both of us," McKeown said.
Tokyo 2021: Emma McKeon, 100m freestyle
Emma McKeon is congratulated by Cate Campbell after the Aussies won gold and bronze respectively in the 100m freestyle final at the Tokyo Olympics. Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey took silver.
It was McKeon's first individual gold medal and followed the defence of Australia's 4x100m title. She broke the Olympic record, clocking 51.96.
"Honestly, it doesn't feel real. I can just feel like my emotions bubbling up now," McKeon said after the race.
"I feel like this week's been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster just getting up for your races and trying to relax again.
"My emotions are a bit all over the place right now. I know all of my family back home are watching and I felt them with me in my race.
"I know all the support they've given me over all the years of me swimming. They're part of it all. Mostly my coach.
"He's just put so much hard work in and I honestly wouldn't be here without him. So much, personal things, swimming, I wouldn't be here without him."
Tokyo 2021: Zac Stubblety-Cook, 200m breaststroke
Zac Stubblety-Cook reacts after winning the gold medal for Australia in the men's 200m breaststroke. He produced an astonishing final 50m in which he went nearly two seconds faster than silver medallist Arno Kamminga of The Netherlands, while Finland's Matti Mattsson was third. Stubblety-Cook, who clocked 2:06.38, was the first Australian man to win the event at the Olympics for 57 years.
"Unbelievable, I'm lost for words," Stubblety-Cook said afterwards on pool deck. "It's been a tough five years and I'm lost for words to be honest."
Of his thrilling tactics, he said: "Made it entertaining, right?
"That's the way I trained and that's the way I've worked and the way I race all the time. At these Games, I'm not going to try and change anything, I'm not going to try and change my swimming; it's too late for that. I'm definitely happy that the process pulled [it] off."
Stubblety-Cook was the only male swimming gold medallist for Australia in Tokyo, against eight golds for the female swim stars.
Tokyo 2021: Ariarne Titmus, 200m freestyle
Australian superstar Ariarne Titmus won gold and claimed an Olympic record in the 200m freestyle final at the Tokyo Olympics, giving her a historic 200-400 double and a place among the greats.
The fastest qualifier into the final, Titmus clocked 1:53.50 to beat Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey and Canada's Penny Oleksiak.
US megastar Katie Ledecky fell to a shock fifth-placed finish, the first time that she had not medalled in an Olympic event.
True to form, Titmus terminated Haughey's lead in a thrilling final lap. She won by 0.42.
"I was trying to mow Siobhan down in the third 50 and I had no idea where she was on the last lap," Titmus said on pool deck afterwards.
"I had Katie covered but Siobhan was the person that was there. I felt it at the end, my legs started to go a little bit but I was happy to get it done."
Titmus, 20, had already won the 400m freestyle over Ledecky in an instantly iconic swim for Australia. She has now emulated Aussie legend Ian Thorpe at Athens 2004 with the 200-400 golden double, plus women's icon Shane Gould at Munich 1972.
The enormity of the achievement overwhelmed Titmus after receiving her gold medal and she broke into tears when met by her passionate coach Dean Boxall. She was 'The Terminator' in the pool but only human in the face of such a wonderful moment.
Tokyo 2021: Kaylee McKeown, 200m Backstroke
Australia's Kaylee McKeown won gold and set an Olympic record in the final of the 100m backstroke at the Tokyo Olympics.
In doing so, she became the first Australian woman to ever win the event at the Olympics - and promptly celebrating by saying "f--k yeah' on live TV.
McKeown swam in lane three and got out slowly before putting on an incredible swim to hit the wall first. The Aussie phenom backed up her favouritism for the event in resounding fashion.
Tokyo 2021: Ariarne Titmus, 400m Freestyle
Ariarne Titmus claimed the gold medal in the 400m Freestyle after an epic duel with defending champion, and world record holder, Katie Ledecky of the United States.
Titmus touched in 3:56.69 , just 0.67 ahead of Ledecky, who took the silver.
The 20-year-old became the first Australian since Hayley Lewis finished 3rd in 1992 to win a medal in this event, and the first Australian since Shane Gould in 1972 to claim gold.
"It's been a rough trot the last 18 months, it's hard enough being an athlete, but having to train during lockdown and trying to manage everything is really tough.
"To be Olympic champion at these Olympics is a testament to what we've had to go through as athletes during the pandemic."
Her coach, Dean Boxall, made headlines around the world with his wild celebrations in the immediate aftermath of the race, scenes that brought tears to the eyes of Titmus.
"He's sacrificed so much of his family life for his job," she said.
"I'm going to tear up. This is definitely for him. To see him crying makes me really emotional.
"I'm really proud to have him as my coach and I couldn't have done it without him."
Tokyo 2021: Women's 4x100m freestyle relay
Gold medallist Team Australia - Bronte Campbell, Cate Campbell, Emma McKeon, Meg Harris - during the medals ceremony of the 4x100m relay.
A world record of 3:30.05 saw the Aussies beat Canada and the USA, to win a third consecutive gold medal in the event.
Team veteran Cate Campbell has been part of all three wins.
"I could not be prouder of these girls," Cate Campbell said post-race.
"It's been a tough ask for everyone to get here and to come away with a win and world record, you honestly couldn't have asked for anything better."
McKeon's split was the fifth fastest 100m freestyle time in history, and has only been bettered by relay swims. Had she swum the first leg she would now be the world record holder.
Rio 2016: Kyle Chalmers 100m freestyle
Kyle Chalmers celebrates with the Australian flag and his 100m freestyle gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics. The former footy prodigy clocked a sizzling 47.58 to beat home Belgium's Pieter Timmers and USA's Nathan Adrian. He became the first Aussie man to win the event since Michael Wenden in 1968 and gave Australia its third and final swimming gold for the Rio Games.
