Australia

Kaylee McKeown breaks the Olympic record to win 100m backstroke gold


Rising Australian star Kaylee McKeown is now an Olympic champion, blitzing home to win the 100m backstroke final with an Olympic record time.

Fellow Aussie Emily Seebohm finished fifth, nearly a second behind 20-year-old McKeown, whose time of 57.47 seconds was only 0.02 seconds behind the world record time she set in June this year.

Australia’s Kaylee McKeown is now an Olympic gold medalist.(

Getty Images: Clive Rose

)

McKeown turned in third position, but made her move in the final 30 metres of the race, finishing ahead of Canada’s Kylie Masse and the US”s Regan Smith.

“It’s definitely something that people dream of — it’s something I have dreamed of, too,” McKeown told Channel Seven after the race.

“To make it a reality is … yeah, really amazing.”

A brunette woman swimming next to another woman wearing a yellow swimming camp
Australia’s Kaylee McKeown is embraced by teammate Emily Seebohm.(

Getty Images: Clive Rose

)

Competing at her first Olympics, McKeown admitted to feeling the nerves in the lead up to her big moment.

“I’m just thankful I have a good support team,” she said.

“A few people before the race came up and said, ‘just have all the faith in the world that you have got this’.”

McKeown also paid tribute to her father, Sholto, who died of brain cancer last year at the age of 53.

“I hope you’re proud, and I keep doing you proud.”



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