{"id":483173,"date":"2022-07-27T14:44:35","date_gmt":"2022-07-27T21:44:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=483173"},"modified":"2022-07-27T15:30:54","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T22:30:54","slug":"olympics-kaylee-mckeown-dedicates-100-back-olympic-gold-to-inspirational-father-regan-smith-snares-bronze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympics-kaylee-mckeown-dedicates-100-back-olympic-gold-to-inspirational-father-regan-smith-snares-bronze\/","title":{"rendered":"Tokyo Flashback: Kaylee McKeown Dedicates 100 Back Olympic Gold to Inspirational Father; Regan Smith Snares Bronze"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tokyo Flashback: Kaylee McKeown Dedicates 100 Back Olympic Gold to Father; Regan Smith Snares Bronze<\/strong><\/p>\n

One year has passed since the Olympic Games, delayed by a year due to COVID-19, unfolded in Tokyo. To celebrate what went down in the Japanese capital, Swimming World is revisiting the championship finals \u2013 each on their one-year anniversary \u2013 by once again running the stories that were posted after the medals were decided.<\/em><\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s 20-year-old Kaylee McKeown<\/strong> created her own slice of swimming history in Tokyo<\/a> today, becoming the country\u2019s first ever female Olympic backstroke gold medallist in an emotionally charged 100-meter victory on Day Three at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre.<\/p>\n

A gold medal she dedicated to her late father Sholto, her greatest supporter, who passed away last August<\/a> after a long battle with brain cancer.<\/p>\n

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HUGS ALL ROUND: Kaylee McKeown the centre of attention with silver medallist Kyle Masse and team mate, 5th placed Emily Seebohm. Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro\/USA Today Sports<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2019s Kylie Masse<\/strong> and former world record holder, Regan Smith<\/strong> of the USA to collect the gold in a new Olympic record of 57.47 (28.20).<\/p>\n

The experienced Masse \u2013 a two-time world champion and Rio bronze medalist in this event – led at the turn, with McKeown, the early leader, in third.<\/p>\n

But in wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

“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,” said McKeown, who has been nurtured by coach Chris Mooney<\/strong> 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.”<\/p>\n

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GOLDEN MOMENT: Kaylee McKeown and Emily Seebohm. Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro\/USA Today Sports<\/p><\/div>\n

McKeown\u2019s teammate and 2012 London silver medalist Emily Seebohm,<\/strong> swimming in her fourth Games, finished a brave fifth in 58.45 (28.58).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It is a special medal for many reasons, in fact the 200th<\/sup> Olympic won by an Australian woman.<\/p>\n

McKeown swam with her father\u2019s strength, and his inspiration tattooed on her foot: \u201cI will always be with you,\u201d<\/em> and they raced together sharing the biggest moment of her life.<\/p>\n

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Passages: Sholto’s Fierce Fighting Spirit Lives On As McKeown Sisters Honour Their Late Father<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n