James Magnussen blasts 'farcical' Olympics event after Kaylee McKeown and Aussies rally for bronze
The former Aussie swimmer wasn't impressed with the event in the Paris pool.
Former Aussie world champion James Magnussen has blasted the scenes during the 100m mixed medley relay race at the Olympics after Kaylee McKeown and co led Australia to a bronze medal. The mixed medley relay event was introduced into the schedule at the Tokyo Olympics and is seen as one of the favourite team events among swimmers.
The USA were incredible having become only the second team/individual to break a world record in the Paris pool as they held off a late charge from China to secure gold. China touched the wall only 0.12s behind the USA in a remarkable race.
Australia rallied late with McKeown, Mollie O'Callaghan, Matthew Temple and Joshua Yong celebrating together as they won bronze. O'Callaghan was given a little too much to do in the final 100m as she managed to make up some ground, but not enough to claim silver.
Regardless, the Aussies were thrilled with their bronze as the quartet celebrated together. Although former Olympic swimmer Magnussen took aim at the second edition of the event. The former 100m freestyle sprinter claimed the mixed relay isn't what the Olympics is about and the difference between the men and the women was not a good look for the sport.
“I would call it the egg-and-spoon race of the Olympic Games. It is farcical,” Magnussen told Matty and the Missile in Paris podcast. “We’ve got men swimming against women. Kaylee McKeown won the gold medal in the 100m backstroke, she goes up against Ryan Murphy, who got bronze in the men’s 100m backstroke. There’s about a 15m difference.
“On their own, they’re both amazing products … I don’t know why we’d want to compare male athletes and female athletes. And then the race itself just ends up this absolute jungle, where one person’s ten metres ahead, then the other team switches. You’ve got male breaststrokers vs female breaststrokers."
Magnussen does not believe the event should result in a medal for a country and doesn't came the same weight as an individual medal. “It’s just a shambles of an event. I can’t understand why it’s at the Olympic Games, and I can’t understand giving out Olympic medals to that event.
"You’re telling me at the end of the day that that’s worth the same as individual gold for Ariarne Titmus in the 400m freestyle? It’s not comparable.” While Magnussen might not like the spectacle, the event is often described as a favourite amongst swimmers as the female and male athletes get to combine for their only medal chance as a team.
Kaylee McKeown adds to historic medal tally
McKeown won two medals on the second last day in the pool having claimed bronzed in the 200m medley, following the controversial disqualification of American rival Alex Walsh. McKeown finished in fourth and appeared to have gone without a podium finish.
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However, after a review, Walsh was deemed to have made an illegal turn at the wall. FINA rules state that for the backstroke leg "the swimmer must touch the wall while on the back". But Walsh was captured on race footage turning onto her stomach to face the bottom of the pool before she touched the wall to start the next leg, resulting in the disqualification.
It came after Walsh broke free to take the lead after the halfway point of the race, before Canadian superstar Summer McIntosh stormed home to capture her third gold medal in Paris, with American Kate Douglass claiming the silver.
