Cate Campbell headlines Australia’s triple charge for swimming gold

CATE Campbell was meant to be the main course but she may well be the dessert as Australia attempt to serve up a three-gold banquet.

CATE Campbell was meant to be the main course but she may well be the dessert as Australia attempt to serve up a three-gold banquet today that would deliver the Dolphins one of their finest days in Olympic history.

Campbell headlines what shapes as a massive day for Australia in the pool with world champions Bronte Campbell and Mitch Larkin plus rookie Taylor McKeown all aiming to carry the momentum of Kyle Chalmers’ breakthrough win into their own races.

For Campbell though, this is the moment that’s been coming ever since she stormed onto her first Olympic team as a teenager in 2008.

Bronte and Cate Campbell are going for gold in the women’s 100m freestyle final. Picture: Gregg Porteous

It’s her third Olympic Games but just Campbell’s first 100m freestyle final. It may be here last chance.

She broke the world record last month in a grand prix meet in Brisbane but today she must carry all her own hopes and expectations, plus the tag of race favourite, into the final where all that matters is the next two-laps.

“This is my first Olympic final in the 100m freestyle. It’s taken me three times to get here so you know what I’m just going to go out there and enjoy it,” Campbell said.

Cate Campbell broke the Olympic record in the 100m freestyle semi-final. Picture: Brett Costello

All eyes will be on Campbell after she twice broke the Olympic record in the heats and semi-finals with a time of 52.71s and with plenty in reserve for the final.

Standing in Campbell’s path is not only her younger sister and world champion Bronte, who is ranked fifth in 53.39s, but Canada’s 16-year-old Penny Oleksiak (52.72s) who shocked everyone by almost beating Cate in their semi-final.

“She is a head taller than me, my goodness, and she is only 16,” Campbell said.

“I caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye and I was like ‘oh man she is going to make me really work for this’.”

Bronte Campbell looms as an outside threat, pacing her way into the final and leaving everything for one last blast.

“Hopefully I’ve got a little bit left in the tank. I didn’t quite lay it all out there,” Bronte said.

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“I’m not going to predict I’m going to go faster in the final but I was definitely just having a look seeing where I was and making sure I got through.

“This is what I’ve wanted, this is my goal coming into this Olympics to be in this 100m freestyle final.

“To stand up there with seven other girls who are the best in the world and compete for your country, that is all I’ve dreamt about since I was a little girl so this is it, tomorrow is the realisation of my dream and I just can’t wait to get out there and race because I love it.”

Larkin is confident he can make amends for his shock fourth place in the 100m backstroke by winning the 200m title after he eased off in his semi-final to qualify second fastest in 1:45.73 just behind Russia’s Evgeny Rylov (1:54.45).

Mitch Larkin qualified second fastest in the men's 200m backstroke. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“I think he will be pretty dangerous, especially closing the race tomorrow night,” Larkin said.

“But I saw him come at me and sort of thought you can have this and see what happens tomorrow night.”

McKeown though would be the biggest shock gold if she can turn her semi-final swim into a powerful finals effort.

The Sunshine Coaster qualified fastest in 2:21.69, ahead of Japan’s Rie Kineto (2:22.11), but may need to drop a second or two today with the gold medal on the line.

Originally published as Cate Campbell headlines Australia’s triple charge for swimming gold