Sport

Swimming: History for McKeon as Australia win Olympic 4x100m medley relay

Australia Olympics Emma McKeon Chelsea Hodges Kaylee McKeown
Australia's Emma McKeon (L), Australia's Chelsea Hodges (C), Australia's Kaylee McKeown (unseen) and Australia's Cate Campbell (R) celebrate winning to take gold in the final of the women's 4x100m medley relay swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on Aug 1, 2021. (Photo: AFP/Odd Andersen)

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TOKYO: Emma McKeon made Olympic history Sunday in helping Australia upset two-time defending champions the United States to soar to the women's 4x100m relay gold medal on Sunday (Aug 1).

Their team of Kaylee McKeown, Chelsea Hodges, McKeon, and Cate Campbell touched in a new Olympic record of 3:51.60 ahead of the US in 3:51.73 and Canada in 3:52.60.

It was McKeon's seventh medal in Tokyo, a feat no other female swimmer has ever achieved at a single Olympics.

READ: Dressel and McKeon complete Olympic sprint gold doubles

Canada's Kylie Masse was fastest through the opening backstroke leg before teenager Lydia Jacoby put the Americans in front following the breaststroke.

A blistering butterfly swim from McKeon closed the gap on the two teams, leaving veteran Campbell to produce a devastating final 100m to reel in US freestyler Abbey Weitzeil and win gold.

It was 27-year-old McKeon's fourth gold in Tokyo to go with her three bronze, overtaking East German Kristin Otto's six medal-haul in 1952 which was matched by American Natalie Coughlin in 2008.

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Source: AFP