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Olympics: Kaylee McKeown Dedicates 100 Back Olympic Gold to Inspirational Father; Regan Smith Snares Bronze

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The Olympics have a way of bringing beautiful stories out of people and why they want to win so badly or if they do win who inspired them to get there. Today we read the story if Kaylee McKeown. This Aussie 20-year-old created her own slice of swimming history in Tokyo, becoming the country’s first ever female Olympic backstroke gold medalist in an emotionally charged 100-meter victory on Day Three at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre.

A gold medal she dedicated to her late father Sholto, her greatest supporter, who passed away last August after a long battle with brain cancer. McKeown, who came into these Games as the reigning world record holder, called on her father’s inspiration to dig deep on the second lap to charge past Canada’s Kylie Masse and former world record holder, Regan Smith of the USA to collect the gold in a new Olympic record of 57.47 (28.20).

The experienced Masse – a two-time world champion and Rio bronze medalist in this event – led at the turn, with McKeown, the early leader, in third. But it wasn’t long before her back-end speed and endurance kicked in and McKeown swam up and passed Masse and Smith and charged to the wall in the second fastest time in history, just 0.02 outside her own world mark.

Masse touched for silver in 57.72 (27.91), adding to her bronze from 2016 with the ever-present Smith taking bronze in 58.05 (28.24).

“My legs were definitely hurting in the last 20m … but I have trained for that and I knew I had a really strong back-end and a really good chance to be on the podium,” Quoted McKeown, who has been nurtured by coach Chris Mooney with the USC Spartans Swim team on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. “I’m just thankful that I have come away with the position that I have.”

McKeown’s teammate and 2012 London silver medalist Emily Seebohm, swimming in her fourth Games, finished a brave fifth in 58.45 (28.58).

The event was one of the most-anticipated of the Games, due to the presence of three women with equal opportunities at gold. All three have held the world record at some point, Masse initially, then Smith and most recently McKeown from the Aussie Trials.

It is a special medal for many reasons, in fact the 200th Olympic won by an Australian woman.

McKeown swam with her father’s strength, and his inspiration tattooed on her foot: “I will always be with you,” and they raced together sharing the biggest moment of her life.

Everybody has a journey of their own and it just so happens that mine has been a really tough one….but I wouldn’t have it any other way because I don’t think I’d be where I am today without all that has happened,” said McKeown.

She is in the zone every time she races – “Doing it for Dad” and has emerged as one of Australia’s “girls most likely” ever since her silver-medal-winning swim in the 200m backstroke at the 2019 World’s in Gwangju. She has not looked back, re-writing all but two of backstroking’s “Olympic event records” over the 100 and 200m backstroke and breaking the world record for 200m backstroke short course.

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