Champion swimmer Emma McKeon, Australia’s most decorated Olympian, has wrapped up her individual Olympic career with a sixth-placed finish in the women’s 100m butterfly final on Monday morning AEST.
The 30-year-old, who has won six gold medals since her Olympic debut in 2016, touched the wall at 56.93s as America’s Torri Huske won the event with a time of 55.59s, just four-hundredths of a second ahead of compatriot Gretchen Walsh in second.
McKeon, who will also represent Australia in relay events later this week, broke down in tears while speaking to Channel 9 after the final.
“I’ve tried not to think about it too much before,” said McKeon, who has confirmed this will be her final Olympic campaign.
“It’s just emotional. I definitely hoped that (result) would have been better, but I know I’ve got a lot to be proud of.
“It’s always going to be emotional finishing something that has brought me so much joy.
“I just feel privileged to be here … I feel so lucky.”
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Elsewhere, Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan look poised for a scintillating contest in the women’s 200m freestyle final, with the Australian duo recording the two fastest times in Monday’s semi-finals.
Defending champion Titmus, who won gold in the 400m event on Sunday, touched the wall at 1:54.64, just 0.06s ahead of her younger Dolphins teammate.
The 200m final, which looms as one of the best intra-team showdowns of the Games, gets underway on Tuesday morning at 5.41am AEST.
“It’s going to be a tough race tomorrow night,” Titmus told Channel 9.
“It will be good to see what I’m capable of.
“I’m actually feeling pretty good … I had a good rest today, spelt for two hours.
“I’ll come in for a light swim in the morning and then should be ready to go tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Australia’s Max Giuliani qualified for the men’s 200m freestyle final after notching a time of 1:45.37 in the semis.
The Gold Coast-based Tasmanian was the fifth fastest qualifier, with Romania’s David Popovici topping the times at 1:44.53.
French star Leon Marchand blew the roof off Paris La Defense Arena with a phenomenal run in the men’s 400m individual medley, winning gold and setting a new Olympic record time of 4.02.95.
Later, Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi won a thrilling encounter in the men’s 100m breaststroke final with a time of 59.03, just 0.02s ahead of Britain’s Adam Peaty and America’s Nic Fink, who shared silver.
DAY 2 HEATS WRAP
AUSSIE PAIR MISS FINALS
20-year-old Isaac Cooper was all the way out in lane one for his heat (out of six heats in all) – had a strong start to his heat. Normally a 50m specialist, a race that isn’t held at the Olympics, Cooper was overhauled by a fast-finishing pack to end up seventh with a 54.21s.
26-year-old Brad Woodward – a veteran of the Australian team but making his Olympics debut – finished eighth and last in a red-hot heat with a 54.34s.
Neither Australian progressed to the semis, but could have the chance to compete in relays.
GUTTING NEAR-MISS FOR AUSSIE DESPITE STUNNING SWIM
27-year-old Jenna Strauch had an excellent start to her women’s 100m breaststroke heat, turning in front at the midway point before storming clear to win by over a second in 1:07.27s.
After a horror run of injuries in the last couple of years, it was a stellar return to form but just wasn’t enough to make the semi-finals after reaching that stage back in Tokyo as the ninth-fastest swimmer.
FRANCE STAR’S EPIC STATEMENT AS AUSSIES FALL SHORT
Aussie debutant William Petric likely needed a personal-best swim to reach the final of the men’s 400m Individual Medley. At the halfway mark of his heat he was back in the field but had a great breaststroke leg to get back into the mix, but finished sixth despite a strong swim.
2023 world championship runner-up Carson Foster of the USA won the heat in 4:11.07s, with Petric finishing in 4:13.58s.
In the second heat, Aussie Brendon Smith came up against France’s Leon Marchand – one of the biggest stars of these Games and likely to win as many as three gold medals. Marchand delivered a dominant statement of intent, opening up a gap of over two seconds before the freestyle leg. He cruised to the finish in 4:08.30s, roared home by an incredibly loud home crowd.
Smith, a bronze medallist at Tokyo, finished seventh in 4:14.36s and will miss the final, as does Petric.
REAM START AS ROOKIE GIULIANI STUNS
Max Giuliani, making his debut for the Australian team at any major meet, was given a brutal 200m freestyle heat in his maiden Olympics race, but stunned the field to claim an upset win and book his place in the semi-finals. Giuliani struggled to find his rhythm in the first 100m of the race, but pushed to second by the 150m mark and surged home to win.
Giuliani boasts the second-fastest Australian time in history, and he needed every ounce of that pace to get past a field that included British champion Matt Richards. Giuliani finished in 1:46.15s, just ahead of Richards (1:46.19s) and Japan’s Katsuhiro Matsumoto (1:46.23s).
22-year-old Tommy Neill was in an equally fast heat including the third-fastest all-time performer in the event, David Popovici.
Neill, an all-rounder who even competed in the 1500m in Tokyo, was in fourth at the midway point but pushed hard on the final lap – only to just get pipped at the finish for fifth.
Popovici touched home in first with a rapid 1:45.65s ahead of a photo finish for the minor places.
Neill’s 1:46.27s was ninth overall across the four heats, well inside the top 16 that progress to the semi-finals. Giuliani was fifth-fastest overall.
Source Agencies
