PARIS — Great Britain retained their men’s 4×200 meter freestyle relay gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, fending off a dogged challenge by the United States at La Defense Arena.
Australia took the bronze.
The British quartet of James Guy, Tom Dean, Matthew Richards and Duncan Scott clocked 6:59.43, edging the Americans by 1.35 seconds.
–Kaylee McKeown held off two U.S. competitors in a triumphant defense of her 100-meter backstroke title and join a parade of Australian icons with three individual Olympic gold medals.
McKeown touched the wall in an Olympic record time of 57.33 seconds with Regan Smith trailing by 0.33 seconds and Katharine Berkoff, also of the US, touching third for the bronze at La Defense Arena.
The 23-year-old McKeown became Australia’s first woman to win Olympic backstroke gold at Tokyo and three years later she is the first to go back-to-back.
McKeown said teammates Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan taking gold proved a huge boost before her showdown with Smith.
“The Aussies have had a great meet so far, following Arnie (Titmus) and Mollie, it’s definitely emotional to see my teammates and someone that I get on with so well get up and swim for Australia and stand on the podium for gold,” she said.
–American Bobby Finke touched half a second after Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen, who claimed the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle with an Olympic record time on Tuesday.
Daniel Wiffen wiped tears from his eyes on the podium after becoming the first Irishman to win Olympic swimming gold, and a medal of any color, with a thrilling 800.
With his twin brother shouting in the crowd, the 23-year-old world champion touched out in seven minutes, 38.19 seconds to set a new Olympic record and secure Ireland’s first gold of the Games.
Finke, the reigning Olympic champion in the event, was officially 0.56 behind on the wall touch with Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri in third place to claim the bronze.
“Amazing… ‘What’s my name? Daniel Wiffen, Olympic champion,'” he told Ireland’s RTE television. “It’s really good. I can’t believe it.”
The only other Irish swimmer to win an Olympic swimming title was women’s triple champion Michelle Smith in 1996, and Wiffen was also Northern Ireland’s first gold medalist in 36 years.
“I mean, I’m not going to lie, I did tell everybody already I was going to do it before. So it’s just good to see it on paper,” Wiffen told reporters.
–Reuters, Special to Field Level Media
–Field Level Media
