World Aquatics Championships: Cameron McEvoy wins gold in 50m freestyle final
Some things in life you can take to the bank and when it comes to Australian swimmers stepping up on the international stage and delivering epic performances, Cameron McEvoy and Kaylee McKeown are as dependable as the sun rising tomorrow morning.
In a replica of their fantastic August night at the Paris Olympics 12 months ago, McEvoy stormed to the 50m freestyle gold medal at the world titles in Singapore and not long after McKeown charged home to win the 200m backstroke gold medal.
You've just got to admire the steely resolve and excellence this duo show time after time, defending their 2023 world titles and showing that despite massive life changes after Paris their commitment to superhuman performance remains resolute.
For McEvoy he has welcomed his first child, a son Hartley, just 23 days ago with wife Madeline.
For McKeown she has suffered the broken heart of an ended relationship, had her coach Michael Bohl depart for China and moved back home to the comfort of family on the Sunshine Coast to push her career towards a potential Olympic three-peat in Los Angeles.
At this rate, McKeown just might become Australia's greatest ever Olympian. Already she is the first Australian to do the double-double, winning both the 100m and 200m backstroke in Tokyo and Paris. A three-peat beckons in Los Angeles in 2028.
And now she's done a world title double-double, winning the 100-200 in both Fukuoka and Singapore.
Her victory on Saturday night was classic Kaylee. Out strong and then destroy them on the final 50m to win in a championship record time of 2:03.33.
McKeown said she was thrilled with her time, especially after her recent shoulder issue and the gastro illness that has hit the Australian swim team.
'I wasn't feeling too great heading in, a bit of illness and stuff going around, dealing with a bit of a shoulder,' she said.
'I had to put my best foot forward tonight, I dug really deep, and I'm really happy with the time that I posted.
'Something I've been really working on is focusing on my own race. I think it really helped me on the outside lane (six), not seeing the other girls around me, and just really focusing on what I've been working on. I don't see a whole lot when I'm racing. I had to ask for my time at the end.'
Yet again US backstroker Regan Smith had to settle for silver in 2:04.29, no doubt cursing the fact she is confronting one of the greatest racers the world of swimming has ever seen.
Father time and fatherhood, it seems, will not stop McEvoy.
The 31-year-old Olympic champion again destroyed a field containing the fastest men on water, obliterating them off the blocks and holding strong to claim his second world title.
The 50m freestyle specialist had an incredible 0.56s reaction time off the blocks and emerged ahead from the outset to race down and win in 21.14 seconds.
In the process he became Australia's oldest ever swimmer to win a world championship gold medal, eclipsing former backstroke and butterfly champion Matt Welsh in 2007.
It is the third year in a row McEvoy has been the toast of world swimming and the fastest man in the pool, with Great Britain's Ben Proud (21.26s) completing another veteran quinella just as the two elder statesmen did at the Paris Olympics last year.
For McEvoy this victory is especially sweet given the major life changes back home with the Queenslander marrying his sweetheart Madeline after the Olympics and the pair welcoming their first child, son Hartley, just 23 days ago.
'It is pretty nice, a little bit different now compared to last year, I didn't have a son last year,' McEvoy said.
'Life has changed pretty dramatically, as it does with a newborn.
'I have to shout out Maddie, I couldn't be here without her … shout out little Hartley too.
'It's a very different life now, I've got to navigate it. I will figure it out.'
US sprinter Jack Alexy completed the podium, touching third in 21.46s.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Mitchell Johnson: Brisbane 2032 must resurrect karate if the Olympic Games are to stand by their ideals
Recently, my 12-year-old daughter looked at my wife and I and asked us if we think karate will be in the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. Rubika competes in kumite, the fighting component of karate. She trains hard. Competes with pride. She's done the maths and knows that if karate makes it to Brisbane 2032, she'd be 19 — prime age to chase the Olympic dream that her mother, former karate world championships bronze medallist and winner of 17 national titles Jess Bratich Johnson, never got the chance to. But that dream is still just a 'maybe'. And I saw it in her eyes — that little spark of hope that her sport might finally be seen as Olympic-worthy. That hope is why this matters. It could also sway her into taking on karate as her main sport, as she has other interests. Karate finally got its moment at Tokyo 2021, at the birthplace of the sport. For the millions around the world who train in it, compete in it and live by its values, it was a long-overdue spotlight. And then just like that — it was gone again. Not included in Paris 2024. Now, the fight is on to get karate back for Brisbane. And frankly, it deserves more than a cameo. It deserves a permanent place at the Olympics. Why? Because karate reflects everything the Olympics claims to represent: discipline, respect, tradition, global reach and the pursuit of excellence. Yet, despite being practised by millions in over 190 countries, karate continues to be overlooked. I still find it strange. With so many people training in karate — from little kids in local halls to elite athletes on international mats — you'd expect it to have a bigger profile. Sport karate today, especially in kumite and kata, has evolved into a highly dynamic and competitive discipline. Big leagues in Europe, world-class athletes from all over the globe, including Oceania — there's a deep pool of talent. A hunger. A thriving culture. What's missing is the stage and the financial support. Here in Australia, karate survives largely on passion, not funding. The athletes don't do it for money or do it because they love it. But love alone doesn't build high-performance programs. It doesn't pay for international competition. And it doesn't create the visibility that helps young athletes dream bigger. When certain sports walk away from the likes of Gina Rinehart's sponsorships, I remember thinking karate would be the kind of sport that would truly appreciate that level of backing. Not out of desperation, but because it's a sport that's still building. Still fighting for recognition. And with proper investment, it could become something Australia is proud to stand behind. And what better time than Brisbane 2032? This isn't just about medals. It's about meaning. Karate gives young people something few sports can: a deep sense of self-respect, focus, emotional control and cultural appreciation. It's not just about who can punch fastest or score the most ippon (although that is part of it) — it's about who can carry themselves with honour before, during and after the match. I've seen how much it gives my daughter. The way she walks taller after training. The way she bows before stepping on the mat. The way she handles pressure — calm, calculated, composed. And I know she's not alone. Across the country, kids are training in silence, learning discipline through kata and control through kumite. They're not just learning to fight. They're learning to grow. Young girls and boys come in shy and nervous, but they grow and become confident and disciplined. Karate should never have to beg for a seat at the Olympic table. It's a sport built on thousands of years of tradition, with a modern competitive scene that is fast, technical, and global. The argument that it's 'too similar' to other combat sports doesn't hold. By that logic, freestyle and butterfly swimming shouldn't coexist. BMX and track cycling should cancel each other out. Each has its rhythm, its own culture, its own story. Karate is no different. The Olympics are meant to evolve to include the sports that shape cultures and communities around the world. Karate isn't a trend. It's embedded in the lives of millions. It's part of schools, families, and neighbourhoods. And it has the power to connect us, especially in multicultural countries like ours. Let Brisbane be the Games that gives karate its rightful place — not just because it fits the host nation's identity, but because it represents something we should all value: honour, discipline, and legacy. I saw that recently at the nationals in Adelaide — athletes of all ages from all over the country competing with passion. Western Australia sent a team of over 100 athletes, competing in kumite, kata, or both. They finished second overall in the national medal count — a huge result and one that speaks to the resilience and rising standard of karate in WA. But behind the medals was something even more powerful — a community effort. Volunteers, referees, coaches, and families all played their part, and that's what karate is. A sport built on shared values. So to the decision makers, the sporting bodies, and the International Olympic Committee — don't let another generation of karate kids grow up like Jess did — believing their sport wasn't seen, valued, or supported on the world's biggest stage. Karate doesn't just belong in the Olympics. The Olympics needs karate — now more than ever.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Gigante makes huge move in Tour shake up
French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prevot took a commanding lead at the Tour de France Femmes after launching a solo attack on the final climb of Saturday's penultimate stage. But Australian rider Sarah Gigante surged into second place, 2 minutes, 37 seconds behind, on a day of big changes in the leading positions. The 2023 champion, Demi Vollering of the Netherlands, is 3:18 adrift heading into Sunday's last stage. Overnight leader Kimberley Le Court Pienaar - Gigante's AG Insurance-Soudal teammmate - crashed on the descent from the Col du Frene with 63km remaining, briefly trailing the peloton by about a minute. She rejoined but the effort and the relentless climbing cost her dear in the general classification as she dropped to 11th place. Last year's event had the smallest winning margin in the history of the women's and men's races, but Ferrand-Prevot - who won the mountain bike gold medal at last year's Paris Olympics - looks like winning far more comfortably, despite Gigante's efforts. The Frenchwoman trailed Le Court by 26 seconds heading into stage eight from Chambery to Saint-François-Longchamp, which took the riders on a 112km trek into the mountains. It featured an early climb of 13km up Col de Plainpalais before finishing with a tortuous ascent of 18.6km to Col de Madeleine, one of the most famed climbs in cycling. Gigante went on the offensive with 12 km to go and only Ferrand-Prevot of the GC favourites was able to stay with her on the climb. The Olympic champion then attacked at the start of the final 9km and Gigante was unable to keep up with her. The Frenchwoman hit the front 7km from the summit and powered to a superb victory. Gigante crossed the line 1:45 behind her, while Niamh Fisher-Black rolled in 2:15 behind in third spot. Vollering was fourth. The 24-year-old Melburnian had joked on Friday night, at the end of the seventh stage, that some of the big names had "missed a couple of opportunities" to shake her off. "They could have got rid of me yesterday, maybe Kim today. We'll see what happens, but from our point of view, hopefully they live to regret it." Those words have proved prophetic and she has a podium finish in her sights. Sunday's ninth and final stage from Praz-sur-Arly to Chatel is another mountainous route, with three big climbs, and is even longer at 124km.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
The dream lives on for Australian swim champ
Cam McEvoy, now an Olympic and world champion, doesn't know when he'll swim again. "But I'm not stopping," McEvoy said. "Imagine telling myself in 2022 this is where I'd be - you couldn't write a script like that. "The dream lives on, right? My story just goes for a while." McEvoy almost quit the sport in 2022. After much soul-searching he continued, vowed to do things his way, and created his own revolutionary training regime. Now, he's the Olympic and world champion in the 50m freestyle. In Singapore on Saturday night, the 31-year-old became Australia's oldest gold medallist at a world championships - three weeks after becoming a dad for the first time. "Shoutout to (wife) Maddi at home, I couldn't be here without her; shoutout to Hartley, my three-week-old son," he said. "I'm going straight to the newborn trenches. "I'll start to do the night routines, help Maddi, and just enjoy the bubble, really. "It sounds cliche, but win or lose, I'm going home a winner. "It has given me a new light on the sport, on life, something new to navigate. "And I'll see where it takes me in the future." McEvoy's latest success came as Kaylee McKeown captured another gold on Saturday night, in the women's 200m backstroke. McKeown has now completed 100-200 backstroke golden doubles at her past two world championships, and also at last year's Olympics. "I wasn't feeling too great heading in, a bit of illness and stuff going around, dealing with a bit of a shoulder (injury)," said McKeown, who dislocated a shoulder leading into the titles. "I dug really deep." Australia's Lani Pallister (women's 800m freestyle) and Alexandria Perkins (women's 50m butterfly) also collected silver on Saturday night. Australia, with seven gold, four silver and six bronze medals, enter Sunday's final night of competition behind only the United States (seven, 11, seven) on the medal tally.
