Swimmer Kaylee McKeown, on Saturday, won gold in women’s 200m backstroke at the Tokyo Olympics. In doing so, the 20-year-old became the first-ever Australian to win the event. Her national colleague Emily Seebohm picked up a bronze medal. 

Late acceleration saw McKeown cover a 0.69-second deficit to Canada’s Kylie Masse at the final turn and finish in a time of 2:04.68. Masse claimed silver at 2:05.42, whereas Seebohm came third at 2:06.17. 

Earlier this week McKeown had won her first Olympic medal after acing the 100m backstroke. With her victory, Team Australia, at 7, is just one win behind its highest ever swimming haul of eight recorded at Melbourne in 1956. Australian swimmers had won seven at the Athens Games. 

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Kaylee McKeown is the second Australian to win a medal in the women’s 200m backstroke. Nicole Stevenson had achieved the feat, winning a bronze, at the Barcelona Olympics of 1992. She will swim for another medal in Saturday afternoon’s mixed 4x100m medley relay final.

Earlier, Australian Matt Temple finished his 100m butterfly final in equal fifth behind Caeleb Dressel.

US star swimmer Caeleb Dressel beat his own world record in the 100 meter butterfly at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. He clocked a gold medal win in 49.45 seconds. Hungary’s Kristof Milak came second. 

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Milak, who also won of the 200-meter butterfly, clocked 49.68 seconds. The bronze went to Switzerland’s Noe Ponti.

Dressel will also compete in the semifinals of the 50 freestyle before and the 4×100 mixed medley relay. The 24-year-old joins Mark Spitz as the only two men in history to win 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly gold medals at the same Olympics.