Tokyo Olympics 2021: Australian Mitch Larkin comes seventh in 100m backstroke final, Team USA's dominance snapped
For the first time since 1992, the American men have lost a backstroke final in Olympic competition.
Russia swept the top two spots in the 100-metre backstroke, with Evgeny Rylov claiming the gold medal in 51.98 seconds and teammate Kliment Kolesnikov taking the silver in 52.00.
America's defending Olympic champion Ryan Murphy settled for the bronze in 52.19.
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Evgeny Rylov of Team ROC celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Men's 100m Backstroke Final on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 27, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) Getty
It was the first backstroke defeat for the US men at the Olympics since the Barcelona Games. They had won 12 straight golds at the last six Olympics, including Murphy's sweep of the 100 and 200 back at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
But the streak finally ended at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Australian Mitch Larkin, racing from lane three, came seventh in a time of 52.79 and paid for a poor start.
The pace of the final was especially quick, with Larkin falling just 0.6 seconds off bronze medal winner Murphy.
In 2016, Murphy won gold in the 100m backstroke in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, setting a world record in the process.
Larkin finished second in his semi-final with a time of 52.76 - and swam a 52.97 in the prelims.
- with AP
