2024 Paris, Oceania Recap Day 4: Kaylee McKeown Becomes Second Woman To Defend 100 Back Gold

2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
  • Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
• La Défense Arena — Paris, France
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Full Swimming Schedule
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Pick ’em Contest
• How To Watch
• Entry Lists
• Live Results
• Oceania Recap, Day 1: Chalmers On ‘King Kyle’ Form After Tough Run Up to Paris
• Oceania Recap, Day 3: Mollie O’Callaghan Goes From Prelims Only Relay Swimmer to Olympic Champ in Three Years

The women’s 100 backstroke was one of the most anticipated races of the 2024 Olympic Games. Many were expecting the latest match-up between Kaylee McKeown and Regan Smith to produce another world record (in potentially the first sub-57 second swim) and while we didn’t quite get that, we did get the most important thing for an already iconic rivalry: a great race.

Smith and Canada’s Kylie Masse led the race around at the turn, but McKeown took over in the last 20 meters. She charged home in 29.25 and defended her gold from Tokyo with an Olympic record of 57.33. The swim equals her Oceanian record and the #2 performance in history, an impressive achievement in this pool. She took down her own Olympic record of 57.47, swum in Tokyo.

McKeown becomes the second woman in Olympic history to win back-to-back golds in this event. The first woman to achieve the feat was Natalie Coughlin, who won gold in 2004 and 2008. After the race, she paid tribute to Smith, saying “Regan pushes me to the best of my abilities. We had a special moment after the race, just thanking one another. I wouldn’t be the athlete I am if it wasn’t for her.”

All-Time Performances, Women’s 100 Back (LCM)

1. Regan Smith, USA — 57.13 (2024)
2. Kaylee McKeown, AUS/Kaylee McKeown, AUS — 57.33 (2023/2024)
3. —
4. Kaylee McKeown, AUS — 57.41 (2024)
5. Kaylee McKeown, AUS — 57.45 (2021)
6. Kaylee McKeown, AUS/Regan Smith, USA — 57.47 (2021/2024)
7. —
8. Regan Smith, USA — 57.51 (2024)
9. Kaylee McKeown, AUS — 57.53 (2023)
10. Regan Smith, USA — 57.57 (2019)

At 23 years old, McKeown now owns five Olympic medals, four gold and one bronze. She’s got more chances to add to her medal haul this week, highlighted by the 200 backstroke, where she’s the world record holder and defending champion. She’ll renew her rivalry with Smith in that event for the first time on the Olympic stage as she aims to win both the 100/200 backstroke at consecutive Olympics (a swimming double-double, if you will). In 2023, she became the first woman in history to sweep the backstroke events at a World Championships.

Day 4 Quick Hits

• The Australian men earned bronze in the 4×200 freestyle relay for the second straight Games. The team of Max Giuliani (1:45.99), Flynn Southam (1:45.53), Elijah Winnington (1:45.19), and Thomas Neill (1:45.27) combined for a 7:01.98 to win bronze after holding third for the majority of the race. Notably, Winnington pulled a tough double as part of this relay, having raced in the 800 freestyle final earlier this session.
• The Australians put two through to the finals in both the women’s 100 freestyle and men’s 200 breaststroke. In the women’s race, Shayna Jack and Mollie O’Callaghan qualified 2nd (52.72) and 3rd (52.75). They will flank the fastest qualifier, Siobhan Haughey in tomorrow’s final. Defending Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook qualified for the 200 breast in 2nd with a 2:08.57, .46 seconds behind Leon Marchand. His countryman Joshua Yong surprised by making the final in 8th place (2:09.89) .04 seconds ahead of 9th place finisher Lyubomir Epitropov. Kyle Chalmers made it through to the men’s 100 freestyle final. He’s aiming for his third consecutive podium in the event after winning gold in Rio and silver in Tokyo.
• Lani Pallister withdrew from the women’s 1500 freestyle prelims relay after testing positive for COVID-19. Pallister was one of the medal contenders in the event. This is the second major international competition where she’s had to withdraw due to COVID-19, the same thing happened at the 2022 World Championships.

Oceanian Medal Table Thru Day 4