Aussie pool queens leave commentator stunned with a wild act to celebrate their last race of the Paris Olympics
- The women’s team in the 4x100m medley won a silver medal
- All four swimmers then jumped into the pool
- Kaylee McKeown was revealed to be behind the plan
The Australian 4x100m medley relay team completed Australia’s third-best swimming campaign at the Olympics with a wild performance.
Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon, Mollie O’Callaghan and Jenna Strauch won silver in the final event of the competition, celebrating by jumping into the pool in their tracksuits.
In terms of gold, it is the country’s third-best performance in an Olympic pool, after the nine gold medals in Tokyo three years ago and the eight gold medals at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
In terms of total medals, the Dolphins’ 18 medals are also Australia’s third-best result.
Nine commentator Gian Rooney said she was shocked to see the soaked relay team without medals after the race.
“Who decided to jump in the pool?” she asked the team.
McKeon, Strauch and O’Callaghan all pointed to pool queen Kaylee McKeown.
“Everyone just threw me under the bus,” she laughed.
Emma McKeon, Jenna Strauch, Mollie O’Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown won silver in the women’s 4x100m medley relay on the final night of swimming at the Olympic Games
After the medal ceremony, all four women jumped into the pool, in scenes that left former Australian swimmer Giaan Rooney speechless
“I was just looking at the pool and you know who cares. ‘Who knows if this is ever going to happen again.'”
“This is a great atmosphere to be a part of and I thought, why not end it with something like this?”
McKeon now retires but remains Australia’s most successful Olympic competitor with a total of six gold, three silver and five bronze medals from three Games.
“It’s not really something I look at,” McKeon said.
“That’s what you strive for… but it’s the whole journey that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
O’Callaghan won three gold medals in Paris – the women’s 200-meter freestyle, the 4×100-meter freestyle and the 4×200-meter freestyle – bringing her career total to five gold medals at the age of 20.
“It’s been an emotional, gruelling week,” said O’Callaghan.
Kaylee McKeown was revealed to be behind the plan to get back into the water
“I need a long break… I need to reset so I can move on.”
And McKeown completed her medal haul from her stunning Games, winning two golds, one silver and one bronze in the French capital.
McKeown became the first swimmer to successfully defend his Olympic titles in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke.
The 23-year-old is also the first Australian swimmer to win four individual Olympic gold medals.
“I feel like I’m just getting started,” McKeown said.
“I don’t know what the next year holds for me. I’ll probably take a break from the sport for a while to mentally recharge.”
Australia had its third-best catch in an Olympic pool at the Paris Games – and the green and gold stars went wild as the competitive portion of their Games drew to a close
Swimming Australia head coach Rohan Taylor was proud of his Dolphins team for treating COVID cases during the competition.
“There are athletes who have swum with COVID… I can’t confirm the numbers, that’s a matter for doctors,” Taylor said.
“We just processed it. And that’s what I’m most proud of, is that we took every opportunity to race and compete.”
Twenty-six of the 41 Australian players left Paris with medals, highlighted by O’Callaghan’s triple gold medal haul: a silver and a bronze.
McKeown, Jack and Ariarne Titmus each take two gold coins from their French collections.