At the Paris Games on Tuesday, Kaylee McKeown clinched back-to-back golds in the women’s 100m backstroke, while Daniel Wiffen made history as the first Irishman to win a swimming gold, triumphing in the 800m freestyle.
Australia’s women continued their dominance, with McKeown overcoming world record holder Regan Smith in a highly anticipated showdown. This victory follows a series of impressive performances by Australian swimmers, including Ariarne Titmus’s win over Katie Ledecky in the 400m freestyle and Mollie O’Callaghan’s gold in the 200m freestyle. The Australian team also secured gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
McKeown, now a four-time Olympic gold medalist, expressed her excitement about her performance and the atmosphere of the Games. She is one of only two women, alongside American Natalie Coughlin, to have won two golds in the 100m backstroke. Smith, coached by Bob Bowman, was leading at the halfway point but McKeown’s strong finish earned her the gold with an Olympic record time of 57.33 seconds, 0.33 seconds ahead of Smith.
In the 800m freestyle, Daniel Wiffen set a new Olympic record with a time of 7:38.19, securing gold and leaving Tokyo champion Bobby Finke in second and Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri with bronze. Wiffen, who had hoped for any medal, was overwhelmed with emotion, shedding tears on the podium. He reflected on the significance of the moment, noting that it was his first experience of hearing the Irish national anthem at the Olympics.
Great Britain’s men’s team defended their 4x200m freestyle relay gold with a commanding performance. Duncan Scott delivered the crucial anchor leg, helping the team finish in 6:59.43. The team, which also won gold at the Tokyo Games, outpaced the USA and Australia to maintain their top spot.
In a surprising turn, world record holder Qin Haiyang of China did not qualify for the final of the men’s 200m breaststroke. Qin, who had been a favorite for gold, finished his semi-final with a time of 2:09.96, falling short of the fastest qualifier Leon Marchand of France. Qin, along with other Chinese swimmers who were previously cleared of doping allegations, has denied any wrongdoing.
