Kaylee McKeown has won the women’s 100m backstroke gold medal to successfully defend her Olympic title.
The former Pacific Lutheran College student’s triumph at the La Defense Arena delivered Australia a sixth gold at the Paris Games.
The 23-year-old edged the United States’ world record holder Regan Smith in the final.
McKeown, whose father passed away in 2020 after a prolonged battle with brain cancer, won in 57.33 seconds, with Smith taking silver in 57.66.
“I like to think I have a little bit of a superpower and that’s my Dad,” she told the Nine Network.
“I am just over the moon.
“He would be extremely proud of me … I know that he’s here in spirit.”
Australia’s 18-year-old Olympic debutant Iona Anderson (58.98) finished fifth.
American Smith set the early pace and led at the turn, with McKeown in fourth place.
But the Dolphin produced a stunning last lap to surge to victory in an Olympic record time just 0.20 seconds outside of Smith’s global benchmark.
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McKeown is just the second woman to win consecutive 100m backstroke gold medals in Olympic history, following American Natalie Coughlin (2004, 2008).
She collected gold in both the 100m and 200m backstroke events at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
She will begin the defence of her 200m crown on Thursday with heats and semi-finals ahead of Friday’s medal race.
McKeown has also added the 200m individual medley to her Paris program, with the final of that event on Saturday.
McKeown now has four gold medals in her Olympic career after also featuring in Australia’s triumphant women’s 4×100 medley team in Tokyo.
She is also likely to feature in Australia’s team in the medley final to be decided on Sunday’s last day of competition at the Paris pool.
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