- Lewis is emotional after son Kai Taylor wins silver in relay
- Taylor was a late inclusion in the relay team but swam well
- Lewis admitted that she could barely talk after the race
Australian swimming great Hayley Lewis fought back tears after watching her son, Kai Taylor, take out a silver medal in the men’s 4x100m relay.
The Australian team didn’t get the best start, but Taylor’s swim put the side right back into contention during the third leg, before Kyle Chalmers stormed home with a powerful swim to finish just behind the USA.
Taylor was included in the team late – and the decision proved a masterstroke.
‘He didn’t know if he was going to swim that,’ Lewis told Nine afterwards.
‘We’re stoked for him. I can barely talk.
‘He will be really, really happy with his time. It is looking good for the 4x200m on Tuesday for him.
‘Like I said, he didn’t know. I’m just happy for him to be racing tonight. Anything else is really a bonus.
‘It’s just surreal. It’s just like watching myself, it’s hard to explain.
Hayley Lewis was emotional after watching her son, Kai Taylor, take out a silver medal in the men’s 4x100m relay
Kai Taylor (second from right) was included in the team late – and the decision proved a masterstroke
‘We knew he was going to do well for Australia because it’s just his thing. Relays seem to be something he can pull together really well.’
Chalmers enhanced his status as Australia’s greatest male relayer with a trademark late surge.
His 100m split of 46.59 seconds was the fastest of the race.
‘I love being part of the relay …. I love swimming for the team, that’s my pride and joy and that’s why I swim,’ he said.
Chalmers’ teammate Elijah Winnington thanked God for his silver medal in the men’s 400m freestyle.
Three years ago at the Tokyo Games, Winnington entered as hot favourite but cold-crashed to seventh.
He has a silver medal after a heat swim in the Tokyo Games from the 4x200m relay, but said he couldn’t bear the sight of it.
Taylor’s excellent performance put Australia back into contention in the third leg
‘I haven’t ever told anybody this, but I’ve never actually looked at that medal because I didn’t think I’d earned it,’ he said.
Winnington said winning silver in Paris was ‘unbelievable’.
‘For a couple of months there, I didn’t think I was going to swim again,’ he said of his crushing post-Tokyo disappointment.
Winnington’s compatriot in Paris and pre-race fancy Sam Short finished fourth.
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