Australia’s golden girls have continued to dominate the pool in Tokyo, with Emma McKeon winning the 100m freestyle in an Olympic record time, while veteran Cate Campbell clinched bronze in her fourth Olympic campaign.
McKeon led from start to finish to win her second gold medal of the Games, flashing a jubilant smile after touching the wall first.
McKeon was too hot for the field, setting an Olympic record with her swim of 51.96 ahead of silver medallist, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey in 52.27 and Campbell in 52.52.
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McKeon’s heat swim was the fastest time in the world this year and she backed it up in the final, leading from the beginning to beat all comers and never looked in doubt, despite Haughey and Campbell putting the pressure on late.
McKeon and Campbell embraced at the end of the race as they looked up to the results board, with bronze medal winner Campbell picked up by the TV coverage saying “I’m so proud of you”.
The Australians now have won four individual women’s events at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, in addition to setting a world record in a 4×100 free relay that included both McKeon and Campbell.
“Honestly, it doesn’t feel real. I can just feel like my emotions bubbling up now,” McKeon said after the race.
“I feel like this week’s been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster just getting up for your races and trying to relax again.
“My emotions are a bit all over the place right now. I know all of my family back home are watching and I felt them with me in my race.
“I know all the support they’ve given me over all the years of me swimming. They’re part of it all. Mostly my coach.
“He’s just put so much hard work in and I honestly wouldn’t be here without him. So much, personal things, swimming, I wouldn’t be here without him.”
Campbell broke down after the race, paying tribute to her teammate while thanking her family for their support in what she described as a “long journey.”
“This is my fourth Olympics, but this is only my second individual medal,” Campbell said.
“It honestly means the world to me. I’m so happy for Emma. Seeing her get up and I’m so glad that there’s going to be an Australian national anthem echoing through this stadium.
“And I’m so glad that I get to be on the podium and share that moment with her.
“I’m really happy and my emotions are going to start to get the better of me. But it’s been a really long journey to get here. And I’m incredibly proud of that performance.
“These aren’t sad tears at all. I’m so thrilled and I just want to thank everyone who stood behind me and got me to this point. Because I couldn’t have done it without them.”
The win secured the Wollongong native’s fourth medal in Tokyo and the 27-year-old is on track to win seven medals at this meet, which would equal the most medals won by a woman at an Olympics since 1952.
Only three three other Australians had won the women’s 100m freestyle in Olympics history – Fanny Durack (1912), Dawn Fraser (1956, 1960 and 1964) and Jodie Henry (2004).
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