Paris Olympics 2024

Olympic swimming: McKeown bags Aussie gold as Wiffen makes Irish history

Jul 31, 2024 - 00:32

Australia's Kaylee McKeown celebrates after winning the women's 100-metre backstroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Nanterre, France [Matthias Schrader/AP]

Kaylee McKeown won back-to-back gold in the women’s 100-metre backstroke while Daniel Wiffen made history as he became the first Irishman to win a swimming gold as he swept to victory in the 800-metre freestyle at the Paris Games.

There was also joy for Great Britain’s men who defended their 4×200-metre freestyle relay gold with a convincing victory.

Australia’s women continued their domination over rivals USA at the La Defense Arena, with McKeown beating world record holder Regan Smith in one of the most highly-anticipated duels of the games.

After Ariarne Titmus beat Katie Ledecky in the 400-metre freestyle “race of the century” on the opening night and Mollie O’Callaghan won the 200-metre freestyle, the Dolphins combined for gold in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay. This was another show of strength for Australia.

“It’s been an awesome few days watching all the Aussies get up and race so I just had to put my best foot forward tonight,” said McKeown, who now owns four Olympic golds and will aim for another in the 200-metre backstroke.

“To have all this atmosphere, all that adrenaline and be able to perform like, that it’s really special to me and I’m happy with having gone so far,” she said.

She is now one of only two women, along with American Natalie Coughlin, to have won two golds in this event.

Smith, coached by Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’s former coach who is also working with French sensation Leon Marchand, had raised hopes last month of a gold by smashing the world record time, set by McKeown, in the US trials.

At the 50-metre mark, Smith was in the lead with McKeown trailing in fourth but, not for the first time, the Australian turned on the turbo power for the last 30m to win with an Olympic record time of 57.33 seconds with Smith 0.33 seconds behind.

“Ultimately, I think other people’s performances are completely out of my control and Kaylee is… one-on-one, she is an absolutely incredible racer and she knows what to do when it matters, but I’m really proud of myself,” said the American.

Katharine Berkoff of the United States, who had threatened an upset, had to settle for bronze.

‘I don’t normally cry’

Meanwhile, Wiffen had talked ahead of his final about how he would be happy with any medal, especially given that Ireland had never had any kind of podium finish in men’s swimming.

But he delivered an epic finish to leave Tokyo champion Bobby Finke in second and the experienced Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri with bronze as he set a new Olympic record time of 7:38.19.

Ireland’s only swimming medals had come in 1996 in Atlanta when Michelle Smith claimed three golds, so it was no surprise that a tearful Wiffen was caught up in the emotion of the occasion.

“I don’t normally cry, so I really hope that nobody’s going to see that. But it did come out of me, and it’s obviously just a special moment. I’ve never heard that national anthem at [the] Olympics before and it’s just crazy that it was me standing on a number one podium here for the first time at [the] Olympics,” he said.

Wiffen will swim in the 1,500 metres and plans to take part in the 10km open water race in the River Seine.

Daniel Wiffen of Ireland wipes his tears as he celebrates after winning and establishing an Olympic record for his country [Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters]

Duncan Scott delivered the clutch anchor leg for Great Britain as they held off the USA and Australia in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay.

Led off by James Guy and brought home by Scott, with Tom Dean and Matt Richards in the middle legs, they led from start to finish and touched in 6 minutes 59.43 seconds.