French hero Leon Marchand cemented his Paris Olympics legacy with a fourth swimming gold of the Games on Friday and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown made a slice of history, but it was a disastrous day for American superstar Caeleb Dressel.
Marchand was little known outside the swimming world before these Olympics, but he has become a national and international phenomenon in the space of a week with a quartet of titles. With the 400m medley, 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke already in the bag, the 22-year-old rose to the occasion again in front of French President Emmanuel Macron in the 200m medley at a deafening La Defense Arena. Roared on a partisan home crowd, he hit the wall first in 1mins 54.06 - the second fastest time in history - to ensure he will leave the Games as one of its biggest stars.
McKeown, 23, didn’t generate quite the same reception, but her feat was also admirable. She held off American arch-rival Regan Smith to win the 200m backstroke in an Olympic record 2:03.73, on the back of her 100m victory, to remain flawless over two Olympics with four golds from four individual events.
No Australian swimmer, man or woman, has ever completed a “double-double” - defending two different individual Olympic titles. Her teammate Cameron McEvoy meanwhile thundered to the men’s 50m freestyle gold in 21.25sec, with defending champion Dressel only managing sixth. Dressel, who won five golds at the Tokyo Games in 2021, returned to the pool but failed to qualify for his 100m butterfly title defence.
Five-time world champion Marchand went into his race as favourite and with fans ready to accept nothing less than victory, he emphatically delivered, just missing Ryan Lochte’s 13-year-old world mark. China’s Wang Shun powered ahead after the opening butterfly leg, but Marchand then switched through the gears to assume control, with Macron on his feet pumping his fist in celebration at the finish. Defending champion Wang came third with Tokyo silver medallist Duncan Scott of Britain second again.
Victory for world record holder McKeown was another psychological blow to arch-rival Smith, who she also beat to gold in the 100m. The pair enjoy a storied rivalry, swapping world records across both backstroke disciplines, but it was the Australian who soared when it mattered most.
“I probably took my race out a little bit too hard. I was pretty nervous going in there tonight,” said McKeown. “I’m not one who gets overly nervous, probably more anxious than anything. I went out hard and just held on for dear life.” Canada’s Kylie Masse won bronze.
But there was no celebration for Dressel, with McEvoy striking gold ahead of Britain’s Ben Proud and French veteran Florent Manaudou, the London 2012 champion, earning bronze. “It was incredible. From the start to the finish the flow of the race felt amazing,” said McEvoy after winning his first gold at his fourth Olympics. “The crowd was extreme. I’ve never heard the crowd louder.”
Both Dressel and McKeown suited up again for semi-final action. But Dressel only finished 13th fastest in the 100m butterfly behind Hungarian pacesetter Kristof Milak (50.38), who came second to the American in Tokyo. “The racing’s been really fun here, walking out to that 50, even 100 fly, it’s special,” said Dressel. “I don’t want to forget that. I’d like to be quicker, obviously. Not my week, that’s alright.”
McKeown made no mistake in qualifying for the 200m medley alongside Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh, who already has two golds and a silver. American Alex Walsh was fastest into the final in a sizzling 2:07.45.
