TOKYO: Caeleb Dressel of the United States powered to victory on Sunday (Aug 1) in the men’s 50m freestyle to claim his third individual gold medal at the Tokyo Games while Australia’s Emma McKeon also completed the sprint double with victory in the women’s 50m.
Dressel, the 100m free and butterfly champion, completed his sprint double with a huge margin of 0.48s over France’s Florent Manaudou, the London gold medal winner and silver medallist in Rio. Bruno Fratus of Brazil took the bronze medal.
Dressel, who also picked up a gold medal as part of Team USA’s 4×100 freestyle relay triumph, led from the front to claim the ninth swimming gold for his country at these Games.
His 21.07s was a new Olympic record.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Swimming – Women’s 50m Freestyle – Final – Tokyo Aquatics Centre – Tokyo, Japan – August 1, 2021. Emma McKeon of Australia and Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden react after race REUTERS/Marko Djurica
McKeon’s victory gave her a sixth medal in Tokyo – no Australian athlete has ever won more than five at a single Games.
World record holder Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden took silver and Rio 50m champion Pernille Blume of Denmark took bronze.
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