Kaylee McKeown After 100 Back Gold, “Regan Pushes Me To The Best Of My Abilities”

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Kaylee McKeown of Australia defended her title in the women’s 100 backstroke swimming a new Olympic Record of a 57.33. McKeown previously held the World Record after swimming a 57.33 last October until Regan Smith swam a 57.13 at US Trials to set a new World Record. McKeown got the win tonight, touching ahead of Smith.

“Regan pushes me to the best of my abilities,” McKeown said. “We had a special moment after the race, just thanking one another. I wouldn’t be the athlete I am if it wasn’t for her.”

Smith also spoke of the two and their competition after she won silver. “The thing that is most important is that we are pushing the sport in the right direction. Our rivalry is great for attention in the sport. We have so much respect for each other, and I have so much respect for Katherine as well. It’s a great situation.”

Winning bronze in the women’s 100 back was Katharine Berkoff of the US who captured her first Olympic medal with her time. “It’s good to not be totally satisfied. It keeps you hungry,” Berkoff said. “It’s not quite the peak of what I want yet; but it’s still so very special.”

Also highlighting the evening was Daniel Wiffen of Ireland who captured the country’s first gold medal on the men’s side in history. Wiffen won the 800 freestyle.

“Lights, camera, action! Amazing. I always knew I had it in my head, I just had to put it in the pool,” Wiffen said. “I’ve done so much work in the past four years. I’ve been training so hard, I knew something was coming, something special.”

Wiffen was able to hold off Bobby Finke of the US who charged on the final 50 to earn silver. Finke won the event in Tokyo but came up just short here. “I’d be lying If I said I wasn’t disappointed… I like winning. It sucks not to win. I did the best I could and I’ve got to be proud of that. The silver is nothing to be disappointed in. I’ve got to take it as motivation going into the mile.”

2016 Rio Olympic Champion in the men’s 100 freestyle Kyle Chalmers will look to be at the top of the podium in the event once again tomorrow night. He is the #2 seed and will swim out of lane 5, the lane that has been home to the last five Olympic Champions in the event.

“I feel like I’m in as good a shape as I can possibly be for the Olympic Games,” Chalmers said. “Definitely better than I was in Tokyo.”