Australia's Kaylee McKeown sweeps both Olympic backstroke events in Paris to match her feat in Tokyo

Australia’s Kaylee McKeown sweeps both Olympic backstroke events in Paris to match her feat in Tokyo

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CAPTION CORRECTS SPELLING Gold medalist Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, centre, stands with silver medalist, Regan Smith of the United States, left, and bronze medalist Katharine Berkoff of the United States on the podium following women’s 100-meter backstroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

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Gold medalist Kaylee McKeown, centre, of Australia, stands with silver medalist Regan Smith, left, of United States, and bronze medalist Kylie Masse of Canada, for a selfie following the women’s 200-meter backstroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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Kaylee McKeown of Australia, competes in the women’s 200-meter backstroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

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Kaylee McKeown of Australia, reacts after receiving her gold medal in the women’s 200-meter backstroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

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Kaylee McKeown of Australia, competes in the women’s 200-meter backstroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

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Kaylee McKeown of Australia, leaves the pool after leaving the women’s 200-meter backstroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

By STEPHEN WADE

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Back-to-back. Then back-to-back again.

There is no clearer way to spell out the dominance in the backstroke of Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown.

She won the 200-meter back Friday, completing the sweep after winning the 100 earlier in the week. She pulled off the same feat in Tokyo three years ago, which makes her the first woman to win back-to-back doubles in the backstroke in Olympic swimming.

Four gold medals in the backstroke. Could she even have imagined?

“Not in a million years,” McKeown said.

She won the 200 in the same fashion as the 100 on Tuesday — powering through the last 50 meters to overtake American Regan Smith. McKeown won in 2 minutes, 3.73 seconds, followed by Smith (2:04.26) and Canadian Kylie Masse (2:05.57).

“I probably took my race out a little bit too hard,” McKeown said. “I was pretty nervous going in there tonight. I’m not one who gets overly nervous, probably more anxious than anything. So I went out hard and just held on for dear life.”

McKeown, who is easy to recognize on the podium wearing large, wire-rimmed glasses, holds the world record in 200 with Smith holding the 100 mark. But McKeown has taken her measure each time, with Smith twice the runner-up.

The Australians have won seven gold medals in swimming so far, and the women have won all but one. That puts them far ahead in their rivalry with the United States.

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The Americans have four gold medals, three from the women.

McKeown nearly called it the year of women in sports with Australia in the forefront.

“I couldn’t ask much more, to be honest with you,” she said. “Having that motivation and seeing those girls. Not just the Aussie girls, but the whole world and female sports have been unreal this year. It’s just great to be a part of that.

McKeown also qualified Friday night for the final of the 200 IM, where she might add another medal — though not likely gold. She has a bronze medal from a relay in Tokyo.

The favorite there will be Canadian Summer McIntosh, who has already won two gold medals.

“I didn’t think I would make the final, so I’m super stoked to be a part of that and just have fun with it tomorrow,” McKeown said.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Olympic Hightlights

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FILE - South Africa’s Jacques Freitag competes in the men’s high jump of the 2004 Olympic Games, in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Friday Aug. 20, 2004. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

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FILE - Ilona Maher of USA is tackled by Sharni Williams of Australia in a semifinal of the Rugby World Cup 7’s championship held in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. The main task for Maher, the breakout social media star on TikTok at the Tokyo Olympics, is winning a medal in Paris. (AP Photo/Halden Krog, File)

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FILE - Jacques Freitag of South Africa waves his national flag after he won the Men’s high jump event at the World Athletics Championships, at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Monday, Aug. 25, 2003. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)

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Sammy Sullivan of USA in action during HSBC rugby sevens series in Singapore, on May 4, 2024. The anthem played as Army officer Sammy Sullivan stood to attention and saluted beside her U.S. rugby teammates before a gold-medal game in Hong Kong against Olympic champion New Zealand. No prizes for guessing where her mind may have drifted to: Paris in July. (AP Photo/Suhaimi Abdullah)

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USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team attacker Ryann Neushul, left, trains at Long Beach City College Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Long Beach, Calif. Following in the footsteps of two older sisters who won gold with the U.S. women’s water polo team, Ryann Neushul is making her Olympic debut in Paris this summer. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Iranian wrestler Iman Mahdavi, 28, practices at the Lotta Club Seggiano gym, in Pioltello , northern Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

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FILE - Steven van de Velde of the Netherlands competes during the CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Vienna 2022 men’s semifinal game against Austria at the Red Bull Beach Arena in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Van de Velde, convicted and imprisoned eight years ago for raping an underage girl in England has qualified for the Paris Olympics. (AP Photo/Florian Schroetter, File)