Australia Left Olympic Games Riding Momentum into Next Quad; Female Freestyle Relay Power on Display

Australia Left Paris Video games Driving Momentum into Subsequent Quad; Feminine Freestyle Relay Energy on Show

For eight days on the Paris La Défense Enviornment, the Australian Swim Workforce scared the life out of the Olympic gold medal tally and its longtime custodian, archrivals the USA.

The Aussie Dolphins got here into the Metropolis Of Lights in pursuit of swimming’s holy grail – that a lot wanted and time-honored quest of Olympic gold medal supremacy.

Australia received off to a flyer on the opening evening with a command efficiency from its diva, the face of the Aussie workforce, Ariarne Titmus, who defended the long-awaited Race of the Century crown – the 400-meter freestyle.

There was one other history-making effort from its all-conquering ladies’s 400 freestyle relay, Olympic domination personified for a fourth straight victory.

However after a gradual begin the U.S. produced a barnstorming, world-record-breaking finale with double gold on the ultimate evening to keep up that supremacy. The trouble elevated its gold medal haul to eight and its general medal tally to twenty-eight (8-13-7).

The Aussies went down by one gold, profitable seven titles for a complete of 18 (7-8-3) and spearheaded by a ladies’s workforce that received eight particular person medals (4 gold, three silver and one bronze) and two gold and one silver within the battle of the relays.

Australian head coach Rohan Taylor is aware of the battlelines are all the time drawn and that the world round them just isn’t standing nonetheless with superstars Leon Marchand (4) and Summer time McIntosh (three), profitable seven particular person gold medals between them for France and Canada.

“Australia ended up one gold in need of equaling the U.S.,” Taylor stated of a workforce he was tremendous pleased with. “Everyone knows the narrative round that, however we do see the U.S. because the standard-bearers and, for us, we simply need to be as shut as we are able to to that. I feel we confirmed that we had been once more aggressive.”

Australia’s Paris swimming marketing campaign sat within the golden arms of a feminine juggernaut led by Tokyo heroines Kaylee McKeown and Titmus, and Emma McKeon swimming in her third and final Video games. Rising stars Mollie O’Callaghan and Meg Harris powered the way in which, too.

5 ladies with 4 very completely different tales who individually and collectively added that Midas contact for a swimming-mad nation that had tasted gold in Paris earlier than – in 1900 and once more in 1924. Them, it was pioneers like Freddie Lane and Andrew “Boy” Charlton who wrote these early chapters which might be indelibly inked in Australia’s swimming annals.

The Aussie ladies meant enterprise and McKeown, the bespectacled backstroking ace from Southeast Queensland (Australia’s little slice of swimming heaven) stored her rival, American Regan Smith, at bay to swim her means into Olympic folklore. By defending her 100 and 200 backstroke double from Tokyo, McKeown grew to become the primary feminine backstroker to win the double-double.

McKeown, at 23, arrived in Paris with that steely look in her eyes, a confidence pushed after leaving no stone unturned in her arduous and meticulous coaching routine masterminded by coach Michael Bohl on the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

Her potential to place herself able to push the accelerator on the exact time had given her that golden edge, the distinction between gold and silver. And he or she left the Olympic metropolis in a blaze of glory, with the dignity of carrying the Australian flag into the Stade de France for a spectacular Closing Ceremony alongside Aussie yachtsman Matt Wearn, who additionally received back-to-back gold within the dinghy class competitors in Marseille.

McKeown joined earlier swimmers, Olympic legends Daybreak Fraser (1964), Mike Wenden (1968), Kieren Perkins (1992), Ian Thorpe (2000), Petria Thomas (2004) and Stephanie Rice (2008) because the Aussie flag-bearer.

Titmus began out at full throttle, placing her pedal to the metallic on the opening evening to crush the hopes of Canada’s rising star McIntosh and the best of all-time from the U.S., Katie Ledecky, in a 400 freestyle title battle that had three contenders all in the identical ring – all present and former world report holders – and a proud defender.

For Titmus, it was a profitable and uncommon golden protection of the coveted 400 freestyle crown, retained in 3:57.48, main all the way in which from McIntosh (3:58.37) and Ledecky (4:00.26).

The previous Tasmanian, who has known as Southeast Queensland her house for the perfect a part of the final decade, gave the Dolphins the beginning they wanted, a confidence booster for her and an Australian workforce able to rumble.

“It’s one factor to return into an Olympics like final time (in Tokyo) not being an Olympic gold medalist and it’s one other factor to return in and (need to) defend your title,” Titmus stated. “It’s a giant monkey in your again and there was plenty of expectation on me and I undoubtedly felt it this week greater than ever.

“However I truly felt fairly relaxed at present which was good…I simply wished to return out and have enjoyable. The gang right here is electrical. It’s about getting your hand on the wall first – it’s not about swimming as quick as you may….(the time was) a bit off my finest however being a back-to-back Olympic champion is fairly cool and  it’s good to have that monkey off my again now.”

Ariarne Titmus of Australia prepares to compete within the swimming 400m Freestyle Girls Heats through the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games at La Protection Enviornment in Paris (France), July 27, 2024.

The opening evening was like no different, Titmus changing into the second Australian feminine swimmer to defend an Olympic title for the reason that nice Daybreak Fraser received the second of her three 100 freestyle golds in Rome in 1960, after claiming gold in Melbourne in 1956. She added a 3rd in Tokyo in 1964.

Later within the evening, Australia’s relay workforce of Mollie O’Callaghan (52.24), Shayna Jack (52.35), Emma McKeon (52.39) and Meg Harris (51.94) continued the reign of Australia’s 400 freestyle dynasty, finishing a four-peat in a brand new Olympic report of three:28.92. The domination began in London in 2012, went all the way down to Rio in 2016, surfaced in Tokyo for 2020 and burst again to life once more in Paris 2024.

It was the primary Australian Olympic workforce or relay to win 4 straight, with a sixth Olympic gold medal for the retiring McKeon that took her previous the nice Ian Thorpe, with 5 earned between Sydney and Athens.

Two nights later, Titmus was again on heart stage, this time alongside O’Callaghan — two Australian ladies primed for a rematch after Titmus took again her world report from O’Callaghan on the Australian Trials. This time, O’Callaghan emerged from a titanic 200 freestyle duel with Titmus as Queensland’s newest Olympic champion.

O’Callaghan produced a barnstorming closing 50 meters to interrupt the Olympic report of 1:53.50 set by Titmus in Tokyo three years in the past and to win her first particular person gold in her first particular person closing, clocking 1:53.27 together with her coaching accomplice half a second behind in 1:53.81.

It was a particular duel. The ladies from the identical St. Peters Western Swim Membership. The identical coach in Dean Boxall. The 2 quickest women on this planet.

The pair grew to become the fifth Australian ladies’s duo to take an Olympic quinella within the pool, becoming a member of Fanny Durack and Mina Wylie (100 freestyle; Stockholm, 1912); Daybreak Fraser and Lorraine Crapp (100 freestyle; Melbourne, 1966), that pair reversing end result within the 400 freestyle; and Susie O’Neill and Petria Thomas (200m butterfly; Atlanta, 1996).

O’Callaghan created one other particular slice of historical past. It was not solely her first particular person Olympic gold medal, however the one hundredth swimming medal by an Australian feminine, for the reason that trailblazers Durack and Wylie in 1912.

Evening 4 was reserved for McKeown, who delivered her first golden second with a shocking protection of her Tokyo Olympic 100 backstroke crown. Changing into solely the second swimmer for the reason that occasion’s inclusion within the Video games in 1928 to go back-to-back, McKeown adopted American star Natalie Coughlin, who received in 2004 and 2008.

McKeown timed her race to absolute perfection. Fourth on the flip behind Canadian Kylie Masse and the U.S. pair, world report holder Smith and Katharine Berkoff, the Aussie powered off the wall and with 20 meters to swim, edged forward her main opponents and was by no means headed. The U.S. ladies tried to hold on, however McKeown discovered one thing in her Olympic champion bag and efficiently defended her crown to interrupt her personal Olympic report in a time of 57.33 (28.08/29.25), equaling her private finest.

“The American women gave me a red-hot push, however I prefer to assume I’ve somewhat ‘tremendous energy’ and that’s my dad and I imagine he was with me tonight….” McKeown stated. “Dad could be extraordinarily proud…and it’s additionally nice to have my household right here, as a result of I do know he’s right here with us in spirit….”

McKeown additionally booked her place in swimming’s annals in an Olympic report time of two:03.73 within the 200 backstroke (breaking American Missy Franklin’s 2012 time from London) to grow to be Australia’s biggest ever particular person gold medalist, with 4 golds after finishing the again double.

Kyle Chalmers of Australia prepares to compete within the swimming 100m Freestyle Males Semifinals through the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games at La Protection Enviornment in Paris (France), July 30, 2024.

Kyle Chalmers claimed a 3rd medal from three consecutive Olympic 100 freestyle finals – crushed by Chinese language younger gun Pan Zhanle, who he had impressed as an 11-year-old. Pan obliterated the world report on his strategy to the gold, stopping the clock at a scorching 46.40 – 0.40 inside his personal earlier world mark – and the primary world report of the meet.

Whereas Pan swam away with China’s first gold medal within the occasion, Chalmers powered house for the silver in 47.48, former world report holder David Popovici taking bronze in 47.49.

Chalmers had been pressured to modify coaches and States earlier this yr, leaving his beloved South Australia and establishing a brand new coaching base on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast underneath shut buddy Ashley Delaney at St. Andrews.

“And to be on the rostrum for 3 consecutive occasions is one thing I’m going to be very, very pleased with and one thing nobody can ever take away from me,” stated Chalmers.

Chalmers joined an unique membership with two 100 freestyle legends in Russia’s Alex Popov and Duke Kahanamoku (USA) to medal in three consecutive finals of swimming’s blue ribband occasion.

Within the males’s 50m freestyle closing, Australia held its collective breath for 21.25 seconds within the early hours of a Saturday morning as Cam McEvoy celebrated a report fourth Video games with gold.

A self-made, new-age sprinter, McEvoy and his coach Tim Lane from Somerville Home, claimed Australia’s first ever medal within the helter-skelter 50 freestyle closing.

“It’s superb to win and that complete 21.25 seconds was bliss,” McEvoy stated. “The way in which my stroke moved by means of the water. I by no means thought I’d ever have the ability to expertise that. The enjoyment of the second I simply had and to get a gold medal with it…. it’s unreal.”