More McKeon Magic: Aussie Drops 24.02 Olympic Record In 50 Free Heats | SwimSwam

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
  • Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
• Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
• Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
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The on-fire Emma McKeon continued her impressive run of performances during the seventh and final preliminary session of Olympic swimming in Tokyo, lowering the Olympic Record in the women’s 50 freestyle.

McKeon was the class of the field in Heat 10, easily touching first in a time of 24.02 to lower the previous Olympic Record of 24.05 set by Dutchwoman Ranomi Kromowidjojo in 2012.

McKeon, 27, holds a personal best time of 23.93 in the event, set at the Australian Olympic Trials last month, which ranks her as the seventh-fastest performer of all-time.

Friday evening’s prelim swim registers as her second-fastest swim ever by a longshot, with a 24.25 from 2019 previously holding that distinction.

The Aussie heads up the field moving into the semi-finals by one tenth of a second, with defending Olympic champion Pernille Blume of Denmark sitting in the #2 slot at 24.12.

McKeon’s Australian teammate Cate Campbell, who holds the country’s National Record in 23.78, qualified third overall in 24.15, while world record holder Sarah Sjostrom (24.26) sits fourth.

McKeon also set a new Olympic Record in the 100 free heats (52.13), ultimately lowering it down to 51.96 in her gold medal victory on Friday morning (also an Australian Record, and the #2 swim in history).

McKeon also won gold on the women’s 400 free relay and added a pair of bronzes in the 100 fly and 800 free relay, giving her a total of four medals, and she’s got a shot to bring that tally up to seven by the end of the meet. That would require her and the Australians to earn a top-three finish in both the mixed and women’s 400 medley relays, along with McKeon getting on the podium in the 50 free.

A fifth podium finish for McKeon would tie the all-time record for medals by an Australian at a single Games, held jointly by Ian Thorpe and Shane Gould. Based on her form here, she’s in position to surpass them.

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