Australia’s mixed 4×100 medley relay have touched home to claim bronze at the Tokyo Olympics after an incredible swim from sprint queen Emma McKeon.
The foursome of Zac Stubblety-Cook, McKeon, Kaylee McKeown and Matt Temple produced a stunning swim to get onto the podium ahead of the USA.
McKeon, who had swum in her 50m semi-final minutes before the race, jumped straight out of the warm-down pool and into the relay lineup.
She produced an astonishing final 100m to take Australia from 6th into the medal positions.
Australia’s sprint king Kyle Chalmers was controversially left out of the team with the 100m silver medallist expected to anchor the team home against American superstar Caeleb Dressel.
Instead it was McKeon, who won gold in the women’s 100m, that took on the USA’s marquee man as she tied Ian Thorpe as the most decorated Australian Olympian of all time.
Great Britain won the final to claim gold ahead of China in silver and Australia bronze.
Australia’s mixed 4×100 medley relay have touched home to claim bronze at the Tokyo Olympics after an incredible swim from sprint queen Emma McKeon
The foursome of Zac Stubblety-Cook, McKeon, Kaylee McKeown and Matt Temple produced a stunning swim to get onto the podium ahead of the USA
McKeon, who had swum in her 50m semi-final minutes before the race, jumped straight out of the warm-down pool and into the relay lineup
McKeon can break Thorpe’s record in the women’s 50m freestyle on Sunday where she is the red hot favourite after breaking another Olympic record in her semi-final.
She would become Australia’s most decorated Olympian ever if she simply wins a medal.
The 27-year-old literally jumped out of the water from her 50m race before to join her teammates in the medley.
Australia led with McKeown with each nation choosing a different arrangement for their male and female competitors.
The 20-year-old handed over to Stubblety-Cook in the breastroke who reduced the gap before Temple entered for the butterfly.
McKeon entered the water in 6th place with all the work to do and American superstar Dressel chasing behind her.
Despite competing literally minutes earlier, Australia’s sprint queen turned in another virtuoso swim to get Australia onto the podium and claim her fourth medal of the Tokyo Games.
McKeown had also won her second gold medal in the 200m backstroke only 30 minutes earlier.
McKeon, Stubblety-Cook and McKeown have all won gold medals so far, adding bronze to their personal tallies. Temple had earlier claimed a bronze.
McKeon can break Thorpe’s record in the women’s 50m freestyle on Sunday where she is the red hot favourite after breaking another Olympic record in her semi-final
Great Britain won gold ahead of China in silver and Australia bronze. The USA laboured to fifth place despite being firm favourites
Australian swimming champ Kaylee McKeown has won her second gold medal after winning the 200m backstroke finals at the Tokyo Olympics
McKeown had hung back for the majority of the event before powering through in the final 50m to take the lead with a time of two minutes and 4.68 seconds
The pair shared a hug as Seebohm placed McKeown’s second gold medal around her neck
Earlier McKeown took home her second gold medal after winning the 200m backstroke.
McKeown had hung slightly back for the majority of the event and was in second place at the final turn before powering through in the last 50m to take the lead with a time of two minutes and 4.68 seconds.
Followed closely behind was Canada’s Kylie Masse coming in at two minutes and 5.42 seconds with fellow Aussie swimmer Emily Seebohm winning the bronze.
McKeown, 20, pointed two fingers at the scoreboard in a gun-like shape before firing at it and blowing away the ‘smoke’ in a cheeky post-swim celebration.
Saturday’s win makes McKeown the first Australian woman to win gold in the 200m backstroke in Olympic history.
In a heartwarming display of true sportsmanship, McKeown asked Seebohm to stand beside her on the first place podium.
The pair shared a hug as Seebohm placed McKeown’s second gold medal around her neck.
Speaking after the race to Channel 7, Seebohm who is competing in her fourth Olympics was overwhelmed with emotion.