Australian swimming darling Kaylee McKeown has claimed a thrilling 100m backstroke world championships goal medal, beating rival Regan Smith.
While narrowly missing out on the world record, McKeown powered to the wall in a championship record time of 57.16sec.
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The result ensured Smith would once more have to settle for second, just 0.19sec behind while American Katharine Berkoff took bronze.
McKeown’s victory underlines her status as the undisputed force in women’s backstroke.
And how will she celebrate?
“Just go and sleep … maybe have some chocolate,” she laughed.
McKeown admitted she was feeling relieved after coming back from post-Paris Olympics blues.
“It’s always very nerve-racking, especially off the back of the Olympics,” the 24-year-old, who won the 100-200m backstroke double at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, said.
“I was probably a bit more nervous than I would like to have been tonight.
“It’s been a long time coming to get a PB so I’m really happy with that.
“I think it’s just really emotional because of the low that I came back off from the Olympics.
“I think I might have actually swore in the water (at the result)! It’s a bit of relief. First race out of the way.
“Seeing mum up there (in the stands) with the kangaroo – it was really nice.”
The result was another chapter in the storied rivalry between arch rivals Smith and McKeown.
The 23-year-old American Smith set a world record of 57.13sec at the 2024 US Olympic trials, snatching McKeown’s world record. But McKeown got the better of the American to win gold at the Paris Olympics, relegating Smith into silver in both the 100m and 200m backstroke.
Ahead of Singapore, McKeown and Smith shared the 20 fastest times in history.
AUSSIE PUSHES SUPERSTAR LEDECKY
Katie Ledecky cruised to a dominant 1500m freestyle gold in Singapore on Tuesday to claim the 22nd world title of her storied career.
The American great touched the wall in 15min 26.44sec, ahead of Italian Simona Quadarella in 15:31.79 and Australia’s Lani Pallister in 15:41.18.
The masterful win moved all-time great Ledecky four short of Michael Phelps’s career tally of 26 world gold medals.
It also gave her the sixth world 1500m freestyle title of her career and she paraded around the arena afterwards with the American flag.
“I love this race. This race was the race that I broke my first world record in in 2013,” the 28-year-old Ledecky, who has won nine Olympic golds, said.
“Lots of great races and memories over the years at worlds. I’m happy I could do it in Singapore.”
Ledecky was the red-hot favourite going into the race, having qualified for the final over 10 seconds faster than nearest challenger Pallister.
She also went into the race owning the top 24 1500m freestyle times ever, and set the second-fastest time in history in April behind her own record.
But the American had plenty of praise for the Aussie who pushed her all the way.
Ledecky and Pallister broke clear of the rest of the field early on, with the Australian determined to keep close to the American.
Both were on world record pace at the 500m mark before Ledecky began to leave Pallister behind.
Ledecky was in a class of her own from there on, with the world record still within sight.
That prospect drained away in the closing stages but by that time the gold was in the bag.
“Lani took it out there. I knew she would be out fast and I just wanted to get out fast, but comfortable enough that I could go from there,” Ledecky said.
DUO QUALIFY FOR FINAL
Aussie duo Jamie Perkins and Mollie O’Callaghan are through to the 200m freestyle final.
O’Callaghan was accused of looking like she “didn’t really get out of first gear” in her semi final time of 1.55.49 while Perkins clocked 1.55.89.
O’Callaghan had earlier safely negotiated her way into the semi-finals as she too attempts to shake off the post-Paris blues.
The 21-year-old Australian former world record holder, who has spoken candidly about trying to live up to big expectations, was third-fastest in the heats in 1min 57.04sec.
“I don’t think there’s been anything as hard as this, coming here and trying to race and trying to, you know, defend my Olympic status in a way,” she said in Adelaide in June.
She declined to talk to reporters following her heat on Tuesday in Singapore, where she had helped Australia win 4x100m freestyle relay gold on Sunday for her ninth world title.
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