McKeown wins gold and defends her 100m backstroke in stunning Paris Olympics swim (2024)

KAYLEE MCKEOWN WINS GOLD!!

WHAT A CHAMPION!!

McKeown defends her 100m backstroke title in an Olympic record time of 57.33.

She was fourth at 50m but stormed home to win her third individual Olympic gold.

World-record holder Regan Smith was second in 57.66, with her American teammate Katharine Berkoff third in 57.98.

Australia's Iona Anderson was fifth in 58.98.

McKeown, who won both backstroke events at the Tokyo Olympics, has the chance to complete the "double-double" when she competes in the 200m event later in the swimming program.

Read the full story here.

So that will do it for a big day four at the Paris Olympics!

We've had all the emotions, some tough results for our teams — the Kookaburras, Boomers and of course our women's rugby sevens team.

But we've had progress on a number of fronts, including Jess Fox and Tim Anderson in canoe slalom, and Logan Martin in the BMX Freestyle.

We ended the day (night?) with a gutsy bronze medal in the men'x 4x200m freestyle relay.

But the day belonged to another Aussie swimmer, and her golden smile. Congratulations Kaylee McKeown, back-to-back Olympic titles in the 100m backstroke, and the chance of more in the longer event later this week.

We will be back later today for day five! We will be coming to you from sometime around 4pm — if the women's triathlon gets the green light.

In the meantime, thank you so much for joining us on the blog, and on behalf of all the crew who have brought you the action on day five, goodbye ... and good morning!

Want to plan out what you'll be watching through the night?

Here’s every event scheduled for day five:

Before we go, we should share a piece that has just gone live from Dean Bilton, who was at Stade de France and saw Australia's women's rugby sevens dreams of gold evaporate earlier tonight in Paris (this morning our time).

The Aussies finished fourth in the Olympic tournament, after it looked so good during the penultimate match:

From romping towards the gold medal this team has been fixated on for years, suddenly the Australians would be going home empty-handed. Canada overran them in the semi-final, the US sucker-punched them in the bronze medal game.

Coach Tim Walsh and his squad will spend the next four years making sense of just how it all fell apart so quickly.

Eventually they will identify a small handful of errors across the two games, minuscule moments in a sport defined by them, which cost them so dearly.

You can read more of Dean's story here.

We’re keeping a running tally of all the medals Australia wins each day.

And we’ve got the overall leaderboard to see how we compare against our rivals.

We were expecting some surfing action from Teahupo'o in Tahiti, but competition has been postponed - for the day, we think.

Among the quarterfinalists who will have to wait for their time to compete are Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing in the men's event.

The Aussie pair were due to face each other for a spot in the semifinal.

Also still in the mix in the women's competition was Tyler Wright, who was due to face Israel's Anat Leliorin heat two of round three.

Australia claims bronze!

The Aussie quartet —Max Giuliani,Flynn Southam,Elijah WinningtonandThomas Neill — has finished third in the men's 4x200m freestyle final via a time of 7:01.98.

Great Britain (6:59.43) wins gold, with the US (7:00.78) second.

It was a gutsy effort from the Australians, who were still in the hunt for a higher placing when the anchor swimmers hit the final lap.

The bronze is Australia's first of the Paris Games.

The men's 4x200m freestyle relay final in underway, with Australia swimming out of lane six.

The Aussie quartet is Max Giuliani, Flynn Southam, Elijah Winnington and Thomas Neill.

Zac Stubblety-Cook won't just be facing French hero Léon Marchand in the men's 200m breaststroke final tomorrow morning (AEST)

The Australian will have to contend with a frenzied French crowd as they look to cheer on Marchand to another gold medal in Paris.

Marchand won the second semifinal to top qualifying with a time of 2:08.11.

He will have a busy night as he is also competing in the 200m butterfly final.

And great news for Australia, with Joshua Yong qualifying for the 200m breaststroke final in eighth place.

Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook has kept the defence of his men's Olympic 200m breaststroke title on track.

Stubblety-Cook swam 2:08.57 to win the first semifinal, with countryman Joshua Yong fifth in 2:09.89.

Molllie O'Callaghan looked slick as she triumphed in the second semifinal of the women's 100m freestyle.

O'Callaghan clocked 52.75 to be the third fastest qualifier for the final.

Siobhan Haughey (52.64) led qualifying, ahead of Shayna Jack (52.72).

O'Callaghan is chasing the 100m-200m freestyle double.

What chance that two Aussies get on the podium in tomorrow morning's (AEST) final?

Australia's Shayna Jack has finished second in the first of the women's 100m freestyle semifinals.

Jack swam 52.72, with Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey winning in 52.64.

Mollie O'Callaghan, fresh from her win in the 200m freestyle final, is up in the second semi.

After winning gold in the 100m backstroke, Kaylee McKeown spoke to the Nine Network about the inspiration she gains from her late father Sholto, who died of brain cancer in 2020.

Expectation is a privilege and if you get the privilege, it is special.

I like to think I have a super power and that's my dad. I believe he was with me tonight.

He would be extremely proud. I'm grateful to have my family here because he would be here in spirit.

McKeown also thanked her mother Sharon and sister Taylor.

No words can amount to how much I appreciate your support.

They deal with a lot of sh*t, thank you for all of that.

McKeown's mother Sharon also made note of the role her father will forever play in their daughter's life.

We have a super power here … we know her dad is there as a super power.

Australia loves you Kaylee!

Australia threw everything at them in the final quarter, but Belgium has claimed a commanding victory over the Kookaburras, 6-2.

With penalty corners aplenty, Belgian sharpshooterTom Boonhas snared a hat trick.

The Kookaburras play New Zealand and India later this week to round out the pool stage.

Ireland tops the podium in the men's 800m freestyle after Daniel Wiffen takes gold.

Wiffen set an Olympic record with a time of 7:38.19, finishing ahead of American Bobby Finke (7:38.75) and Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri (7:39.38).

Australia's Elijah Winnington was eighth in 7:48.36.

At the halfway point of the men's 800m freestyle final, these are the top-three placings:

1. David Wiffen — 3:48.82

2. Bobby Finke — 3:48.89

3. Elijah Winnington — 3:49.18

It's three-quarter time in the battle against the Tokyo gold and silver medalists in the men's hockey.

Plenty of Kookaburra possession but not much to show for it.

The Australians have found some new tricks around goal that have so nearly come off.

But then, against the run of play, Belgium land another blow. And then another from a turnover.

Hold up, it's a late shot by Australia'sBlake Govers out of nowhere.

There's hope, but that 5-2 scoreline is looking ominous.

One of the biggest races of the Paris swimming program is upon us with the women's 100m backstroke final.

Australia's Kaylee McKeown is the defending champion, but American Regan Smith is the freshly minted world-record holder.

Smith is in lane four, with McKeown next to her in five.

McKeown is joined by Australian teammate Iona Anderson (lane six) in the final.

Kyle Chalmers has qualified for the men's 100m freestyle final with the second fastest time from the semis.

China's world-record holderPan Zhanle topped the qualifying times after winning the second semifinal in 47.21.

Chalmers had earlier won the opening semi in 47.58.

HungarianNándor Németh (47.61) was third fastest, while Romanian 200m freestyle gold medallist David Popovici (47.66) was fifth.

Chalmers's Australian teammate William Yang missed the final.