'What a comeback': Aussie's crazy swim stuns Olympics fans
Aussie swimmer Brendon Smith had produced a brilliant final leg of his 400m Medley final to claim bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.
Smith was going into the final in fantastic form, but American Chase Kalisz opened up a gap during the opening two legs.
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However, Smith wasn't giving up.
The Victorian produced a brilliant freestyle leg to close a huge gap and power home to grab Australia's first medal at the Games.
Fans went wild for Smith, whose comeback was deserving of a medal.
BRONZE for Brendon Smith - he absolutely powered home in the freestyle leg of the medley. US takes gold - but great result for the Victorian#Tokyo2020
— Drew Jones (@DrewJonesFOX) July 25, 2021
Brendon Smith takes bronze @7olympics
— adrian barich (@adrianbarich) July 25, 2021
21 yr old Brendon Smith wins BRONZE for the Aussies in the 400m individual medley. What a race!! #Tokyo2020 #tokyonews
— Madeline Crittenden (@madjcrittenden) July 25, 2021
Wow Brendon Smith, how’d he get the medal! What a comeback for Bronze, incredible effort you’ve done us proud mate 👏
— Joe Stein (@xoJOEYBOYox) July 25, 2021
Brendon Smith for Bronze! 🙌🏽
What a comeback in the freestyle leg that was 🔥
Our first medal!! #Tokyo2020 @AUSOlympicTeam | @7olympics— Trent Copeland (@copes9) July 25, 2021
Brendon Smith, what a last leg!! #Tokyo2020 #Olympics
— Mindy Pawsey (@MKPS001) July 25, 2021
Chase Kalisz (@UGASwimDive) wins the 400m Individual Medley, winning the first Olympic gold medal of his career.
What a race for the Maryland native. #Tokyo2020 #TokyoOlympics— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) July 25, 2021
America grabbed gold and silver with Jay Litherland holding out Smith.
Victorian 21-year-old Brendon Smith originally shot to gold-medal favouritism in the 400-metre individual medley - the first of three swim finals featuring Australians on Sunday.
Smith set an Australian record in his heat and was quickest into his final, but just didn't have enough to grab gold.
Meanwhile, the women's 4x100m freestyle relay team is an unbackable favourite to deliver a Sunday gold.
Swim world erupts over dead-heat finish
Aussie fans were left gobsmacked while watching the Olympics on Saturday night when swimmer Emma McKeon appeared to touch the wall well before Chinese rival Zhang Yufei, only for the race to be declared a dead-heat.
McKeon was equal-fastest in the 100-metre butterfly heats in Tokyo, dead-heating with China's World No.1 as Australia's feted swim team opened their Olympic campaign.
McKeon made a slick start in her quest to join Aussie icons Shane Gould, Ian Thorpe and Alicia Coutts in collecting five medals at a single Olympics.
The 27-year-old is eyeing a seven-medal haul with her bumper program beginning with an ominous swim on Saturday night.
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