Kaylee McKeown Defends Her Olympic Backstroke Title in Paris

In an exciting showdown at the Paris Olympics, Kaylee McKeown from Australia successfully defended her title in the women’s 100-meter backstroke. She faced off against Regan Smith of the United States, who was the world record holder and looked strong coming into the race.

Smith started off strong and was leading at the halfway point, but McKeown made a powerful push on the return lap. In a thrilling finish, McKeown touched the wall first with a time of 57.33 seconds, while Smith followed closely at 57.66 seconds. Katharine Berkoff, also from the U.S., took home the bronze with a time of 57.98 seconds.

This victory marks McKeown’s fourth gold medal, adding to her success in Tokyo where she also won in backstroke events and a relay. The competition was intense, as both swimmers had recorded the fastest times in history leading up to the event.

Meanwhile, Irish swimmer Daniel Wiffen made headlines by winning Ireland’s first gold medal in swimming since the controversial achievements of Michelle Smith in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Wiffen executed a powerful final lap to surpass Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri, finishing the race in 7 minutes, 38.19 seconds.

Defending champion Bobby Finke also had a strong showing, securing the silver medal in 7:38.75. Paltrinieri took the bronze with a time of 7:39.38. Wiffen’s victory is a significant moment for Irish swimming, highlighting a new era for the sport in the country.