Paris Olympic Games Moreton Bay coverage – August 1

Kaylee McKeown has started her quest for more Olympic gold with victory in tonight’s heats of her favoured 200m backstroke.

The Redcliffe-born, Caboolture-raised 23-year-old led from start to finish and qualified third fastest for the semi-finals early tomorrow morning.

McKeown, who swam at Burpengary as a junior, clocked 2 minutes 8.89 seconds, behind Peng Xuwei of China 2:8.29 and Kylie Masse from Canada 2:08.54.

US star Regan Smith, second behind McKeown in the yesterday’s dramatic100m final, was sixth fastest in 2:09.61.

The 200m backstroke is probably McKeown’s stronger event. She won gold in Tokyo and is now chasing an Olympic 100m/200m double double.

Tomorrow’s semi-finals are scheduled for 5.19am AEST. McKeown will also have the 200m individual medley heats tomorrow night.

Also tomorrow morning, former Redcliffe junior Renee Taylor and the Hockeyroos take on Argentina, who are world ranked two, in a top-of-the-table Pool clash at 4.15am AEST.

Australia, with three players who were juniors in Moreton Bay, has bowed out of the Paris Olympic women’s football tournament.

The Matildas went down 2-1 to USA in Pool B this morning and missed automatic qualifying for the quarter-finals on goal difference (GD)

Their hopes of going through as one of the two best third-placed finishers, with three points and a GD of -3, rested on Canada and New Zealand in Pool A.

The Kiwi’s lost but Canada, which had a six-point deduction following a drone spying scandal, won its final match against Columbia 1-0.

That gave Canada three points - despite winning all three games - and a GD of +3. Columbia also had three points and a GD of +1 to pip Australia for the last qualifying spot.

Cortnee Vine, a Deception Bay, PCYC Redcliffe (now Redcliffe Dolphins SC) and Peninsula Power junior and Teagan Micah, also a Power junior, were on the bench for Australia this morning.

Sharn Freier, a travelling injury reserve who was born, grew up and has played juniors at The Lakes (now North Lakes United) and juniors and seniors with Moreton Bay United (now Moreton City Excelsior), was not in the squad.

Alana Kennedy gave Australia hope with a 91^st-minute goal, but the US held on to make the quarters as winners of Pool B, with Germany second after beating Zambia 4-1.

New Zealand’s Olympic campaign finished with a 2-1 defeat by France leaving them bottom of Pool A.

Indiah-Paige Riley, who played juniors for The Lakes and Moreton Bay United and went Murrumba Downs State College, was in their starting line-up.

The White Ferns stunned France, who are world ranked two, with an equaliser just before half time, but the hosts struck again after the break.