St Peters Western Swim Club’s Madeline Groves wins Olympic silver in 200m butterfly in Rio

UPDATE: KYLE Chalmers may have stolen the show, but Games debutant Madeline Groves is the toast of St Peters Western Swim Club after a magical morning in the pool in Rio.

Madeline Groves wins silver in the women’s 200m butterfly final in Rio. Picture: Alex Coppel.

KYLE Chalmers may have stolen the show, but Games debutant Madeline Groves is the toast of St Peters Western Swim Club after a magical morning in the pool in Rio.

Adelaide-based Chalmers stormed home to take gold in the men’s 100m freestyle, moments after Groves’ silver-medal finish in the women’s 200m butterfly.

In her trademark style, Groves (2:04.88) went out hard in the final, but was reeled in over the final 100m by Spain’s Mireia Belmonte Garcia (2:04.85).

It was a PB for 21-year-old Groves, who had fought back from serious neck and shoulder injuries to take her place in Rio.

Australia's Madeline Groves. Picture. Phil Hillyard

“It feels absolutely amazing. I’m really happy with how I went,” she told Channel 7 after the race.

“I had so much fun this week. I just wanted to be there in the last 100. I left everything in the pool. I could’ve come last in that race and it wouldn’t matter, I’m just so happy.”

Groves also reserved praise for coach Michael Bohl.

“I just want to thank Michael Bohl so much. He always says ‘have the courage to believe in yourself’ and I couldn’t have done it without him.”

More joy was to follow for St Peters Western clubmates Emma McKeon and Bronte Barratt, who joined forces with Ipswich’s Leah Neale and Western Australia’s Tamsin Cook to take silver in the women’s Australian 4x200m freestyle relay.

On the back of middle legs from McKeon and Barratt, Australia (7:44.87) had the lead at the final change before the US (7:43.03) stormed home thanks to Katie Ledecky.

Silver completed the set for McKeon, who won 4x100m freestyle relay gold and bronze in the 200m freestyle, while retiring Barratt bowed out of swimming on a high.

“I’m so happy. I finished all my individual events and to come tonight and swim with these girls and get a medal, I don’t think any of us were really thinking about medals,” McKeon, 22, said.

Meanwhile, gold-medal favourites Cate Campbell (100m freestyle) and Mitch Larkin (200m backstroke), from Commercial and St Peters Western swim clubs respectively, remain on track for glory after breezing through their semi finals.

Campbell broke the Olympic record (52.78) she’d set in the heats in the second semi final, cruising to victory in a time of 52.71 to enter tomorrow morning’s final as the fastest-qualifier.

Cate Campbell after setting a new Olympic record in the 100m freestyle semi final. Picture: AP Photo/Lee Jin-man.

“I’m confident within myself, I can’t control what anyone else does. It’s just about exciting my plan so I’m really happy with that (semi final swim),” Campbell, 24, said.

Sister and clubmate Bronte also looked comfortable in the first semi, finishing second in a time of 53.29 as American Simone Manuel (53.11) stormed home to win.

Bronte is the fifth-fastest qualifier for the final and admitted she had more to give.

“I was as comfortable as you can be in the 100m. I was definitely watching making sure I was in top 2-3,” the 22-year-old said.

Larkin was second in his semi final, posting a time of 1:54.73 to finish behind Russia’s Evgeny Rylov (1:54.45) and enter tomorrow’s final second-fastest.

Mitch Larkin during the men’s 200m backstroke semi final. Picture: Alex Coppel.

“I’m just sort of going at a good pace … and hopefully have more to give tomorrow night. Being a 200, I try to save my legs as much as I can and bring that in tomorrow night,” he said.

“I’ve put the 100m (where he finished fourth) behind me and got back in and swum and do what I do best. As soon as you get past the 100 you move on to the 200.”

Bellmere’s Taylor McKeown will enter tomorrow’s 200m breaststroke final as a gold-medal contender after winning the second semi final and posting the fastest qualifying time (2:22.69).

The Redcliffe-born 21-year-old eased off in the dying stages, but still put a sizeable time gap of 0.42 seconds between herself and the second-fastest qualifier, Japan’s Rie Kaneto.

Women's 200m breaststroke swimmer Taylor McKeown. Picture: Adam Head.

“Tonight I was really relaxed and had fun and stuck to my race plan. I probably backed off a little bit in the last 30m. Hopefully I can bring it home stronger (in the final),” she said.

“I don’t want to say too much and psyche myself out … (but) I feel like this is my time.”