More gold for Kaylee - Commonwealth Games Day 4

Published 5:55am 2 August 2022

Kaylee McKeown, the former Caboolture resident who trained at Burpengary, has produced two remarkable medal-winning swims, just 50 minutes apart, this morning.

Redcliffe-born McKeown stormed to the Commonwealth Games 200m backstroke title adding it to the 100m crown (above, picture Commonwealth Games Australia) she won yesterday.

Then, moments after collecting her gold medal, the 21-year-old took silver in the 200m individual medley (IM) after pushing world champion Summer McIntosh all the way.

Demanding day

It completed an arduous 12 hours for McKeown who qualified from semi-finals in both events earlier in the day – fastest in the 200m backstroke, seventh fastest in the 200m IM

“(It’s) great to come out after this morning,” she told Channel 7 pool side commentator Cate Campbell after the 200m backstroke final.

“The legs are going to be pretty sore, but I’m happy to be pretty consistent.”

Kaylee McKeown. Picture Delly Carr

McKeown dominated the 200m backstroke final pulling away in the second half of the race from defending champion Kylie Masse to finish more than two seconds ahead of the Canadian.

The former Australian Crawl swimmer stopped the clock in a Games record time of 2 minutes 5.60 seconds, ahead of Masse 2:07.81 and Scotland’s Katie Shanahan 2:09.22.

Within an hour McKeown produced a staggering breaststroke leg of the 200m individual medley to inch ahead of race favourite McIntosh at the final turn.

Star turn

But the Canadian, a rising star in the pool, has a powerful freestyle and managed to hold off McKeown’s storming finish in the outside lane.

McIntosh won in 2 minutes 8.7 seconds, McKeown, who still has the 50m backstroke heats tonight (AEST) and the relays, clocked 2:09.52.

The former St Paul’s Lutheran student in Caboolture, is now the world, Olympic and Commonwealth 200m backstroke champion and Olympic and Commonwealth 100m title holder.

Lachlin Dalton, from Woody Point, in possession during Australia's victory over Canada in the wheelchair basketball. Picture Commonwealth Games Australia.

Golden finale

Woody Point resident Lachlin Dalton this morning helped Australia to a sensational 12-11 victory in the 3x3 wheelchair basketball semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games.

Dalton, who plays at Mt Gravatt, scored three points as the Aussies squeezed past the host nation by the narrowest of margins in Birmingham.

It sets up a final against Canada, who beat Malaysia this morning, at 4.30am (AEST) tomorrow morning.

Australia beat Canada 13-11 in their Pool B match earlier in the competition.

Former Brendale resident and Pine Rivers netballer Steph Wood. Picture Commonwealth Games Australia

Impressive start

Steph Wood, who played as a junior at Pine Rivers Netball Association, was again a key figure as Australia recorded its third successive victory of the Games.

The former Brendale resident led the attack scoring 14 goals from 14 attempts as the Aussies beat South Africa 74-49, having earlier beaten Barbados and Scotland.

Australia next faces Wales in Pool A tomorrow morning.