Chalmers' historic medal as 'insane' WR blows minds on mixed day ...

Kyle Chalmers has won a historic third straight Olympic 100m freestyle medal, finishing second as Chinese teenager Pan Zhanle absolutely shattered his own world record in stunning scenes in Paris.

One of of the most memorable nights in Olympic swimming history, Chalmers came from last on the turn to clock 47.48 seconds to add another medal to his Rio 2016 gold and Tokyo 2020 silver.

But Pan, 19, clocked an incredible 46.40 seconds, beating the entire field by more than a second to shave more than 0.4 seconds off his own world record seat earlier this year.

“It’s insane. That world record, that swim is absolutely mind blowing,” Ian Thorpe said on the Channel 9 coverage. Romanian 19-year-old David Popovici was third in 47.49.

It was the second silver medal of the night for Australia, with defending champion Zac Stubblety-Cook second in the 200m breaststoke final behind France’s Leon Marchand, who won two individual gold medals on the same night in a remarkable performance.

Australia had to settle for those two medals on Day 5 as gold medal favourite Mollie O’Callaghan missed the podium by 0.01 seconds in the 100m freestyle final and Shayna Jack finished fifth.

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Kyle Chalmers with Pan Zhanle and David Popovici.Source: Getty ImagesNANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 31: Zhanle Pan of Team People's Republic of China celebrates with Kyle Chalmers of Team Australia after winning gold and silver in the Men's 100m Freestyle Final on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 31, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Chalmers became the first man since the legendary Alex Popov to win a medal in three consecutive 100m freestye finals — and he confirmed after the race he would keep swimming, potentially towards Los Angeles 2028.

He appeared to be slow off the blocks but trailing the field is not unfamiliar territory for a swimmer who has become renowned for his incredible late bursts.

He powered home in the second 50m but never looked a chance of reeling in Pan, who won the final by the biggest margin seen in an Olympic 100m final almost 100 years.

“I did everything I possibly could. And I’m really proud of that performance,’ Chalmers said post-race.

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“To get silver at my third Olympic Games, to be on the podium three consecutive times is something I’m going to be very proud of and no-one can ever take away from me.”

The 26-year-old confirmed he would continue swimming.

“I love it. I think I’ll continue on as long as I possibly can,” Chalmers said.

Pan’s performance was remarkable considering he nearly didn’t make the semi-finals after a poor heat swim. He shaved 0.40 seconds off his previous mark set at the World Championships in Doha in February with a stunning relay leadoff swim.

The performance is even more incredible considering Popovici and Pan only recently took turns at marginally bettering Cesar Cielo’s world record of 46.91 that stood from 2009 to 2022.

China's Pan Zhanle (R) celebrates next to Australia's Kyle Chalmers.Source: AFPGold medallist China's Pan Zhanle poses with his medal on the podium of the men's 100m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 31, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)Source: AFP

It also came despite suggestions that the Paris pool was “slow”, with this the first world record of the meet.

“I never thought I would see that in my lifetime ... Nobody was near him,” two-time world champion James Magnussen said in his column for News Corp.

“I’ve never seen anything like that in my entire life”

STUBBLETY-COOK’S SILVER AS AUSSIES GIRLS MISS OUT

Stubblety-Cook, 25, produced another stellar performance at the highest level but he could not reel in home nation hero Marchand, who won the 200m butterfly earlier in the night.

Marchand, who becomes the first swimmer to win those two events in the same Olympic Games, touched the wall in a time of 2min 5.85sec, a new Olympic record and the second fastest time of all-time.

Stubblety-Cook, the defending champion from Tokyo, finished with silver 0.94 seconds behind with Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands claiming bronze.

“It was an awesome race,” Stubblety-Cook said. “I think to have a French crowd and a French favourite was unbelievable. The crowd took us the whole way through.

“I stuck to my race plan, did my best swim so I can’t complain and I am stoke would the silver medal.”

Remarkably the race was the first time Marchand has swum in the 200 breastroke in a major international competition but in his current form and with the deafening home crowd behind him there was simply no stopping him as he led from start to finish.

NANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 31: Gold Medalist Leon Marchand of Team France (C), Silver Medalist Zac Stubblety-Cook of Team Australia (L) and Bronze Medalist Caspar Corbeau of Team Netherlands (R) pose on the podium during the Swimming medal ceremony after the Men's 200m Breaststroke Final on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 31, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Marchand earlier made a sensational late charge to clinch the men’s 200m butterfly crown.

World record holder and defending champion Kristof Milak of Hungary led until the final stretch when Marchand, who already has gold from the 400m medley, made his dramatic surge, roared on by the home crowd.

“This is, dare I say it, Phelps-like,” Matt Thompson said in the Channel 9 commentary after Marchand’s second win of the night.

France's Leon Marchand celebrates after winning gold in the final of the men's 200m breaststroke swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 31, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)Source: AFP

‘I EXPECTED MORE’: O’CALLAGHAN MISSES SPRINT DOUBLE

Swedish legend Sarah Sjoestroem stunned the field to win her second career gold at age 30, pouncing late from a wide lane to win in 52.16 seconds ahead of American Torri Hoske 52.29 and Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey (52.33).

O’Callaghan - the pre-race favourite - missed a medal by just 0.01 seconds as she and Jack were fourth and fifth respectively. O’Callaghan is renowned as a fast finisher but couldn’t bring it home with Sjoestroem winning by a fingertip.

Sarah Sjoestroem celebrates after winning gold in the Women's 100m Freestyle Final.Source: Getty Images

“I expected a lot more,” O’Callaghan said.

“But at the end of the day you’ve got to suck it up and wait another four years.

“I tried really hard to manage myself and get up for this but I knew 100 free was going to be hard because it’s a lot about speed and that’s something I really lack in.

“I knew it was going to be a tough race … it’s 0.01 (of a second), if you stuff something up it costs you.”

The Swede initially wasn’t planning to enter the 100m.

Despite winning four Olympic medals and 25 at world championships, she had never a gold in the 100m until now.

Australia’s still has some excellent chances for gold in Day 5 finals, including Kyle Chalmers in the men’s 100m final and Zac Stubblety-Cook in the men’s 200m breaststroke.

TWO AUSSIES THROUGH TO 200m BUTTERFLY FINAL

Australia will have two representatives in tomorrow morning’s 200m women’s butterfly final

Liz Dekkers and Abbey Lee Connor each finished third in their semis, with Dekkers (2:06.17) fourth-fastest qualifier into the final, finishing behind Canada’s Summer McIntosh (2:04.87)

Connor clocked 2:07.10 to be seventh fastest qualifier

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Katie Ledecky powered to a dominant victory in the women’s 1500m freestyle to successfully defend her Olympic title and add an eighth gold medal to her glittering collection.

The American great was untouchable, coming home in 15mins 30.02secs, an Olympic record and more than 10 seconds ahead of France’s Anastasiia Kirpichnikova in second. Germany’s Isabel Gose won bronze while Australian Moesha Johnson was sixth.

Ledecky went out hard and was a body length clear after 100m with her lead growing to five seconds at the halfway mark.

NANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 31: Katie Ledecky of Team United States celebrates after winning gold in the Women's 1500m Freestyle Final on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 31, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesGold medallist US' Katie Ledecky poses with her medal on the podium of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 31, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)Source: AFP

She never relented, her advantage continuing to build as she reinforced her reputation as the greatest distance swimmer the sport has seen.

The result was never in doubt with the 27-year-old setting the last six world records and now holding the fastest 20 times ever swum.

It was her eighth Olympic gold, and 12th medal overall after adding a bronze in the 400m freestyle behind Australian winner Ariarne Titmus.

Ledecky will also swim the 800m in Paris, with Titmus standing in her way of winning a fourth straight title

The win elevated her as the first woman swimmer to win gold at four Olympics. Among men, only fellow Americans Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte have achieved the feat.

It was reward for three more years of hard toil after she claimed the title in Tokyo.

“It’s not easy, it doesn’t get any easier so I do try to enjoy it each year,” she said.

“There’s different perspective that I have different years. Different challenges that you face each year in training and as you get older.

“I definitely appreciate it a lot and have a lot more perspective than I did back in Rio or London.”

DAY 5 HEATS WRAP

Australians Jenna Strauch and Ella Ramsay have qualified the women’s 200m breaststroke semi-finals, recording times of 2:24.38 and 2:25.61 respectively in the heats.

Strauch placed second in her race, while Ramsay finished fifth in the following heat. South Africa’s Tatjana Smith posted the fastest time with 2:21.57.

In the women’s 200m butterfly event, Dolphins stars Abbey Lee Connor and Elizabeth Dekkers qualified for the semi-finals after posting 2:07.13 and 2:08.97 respectively in the heats.

Connor came second in her heat, only finishing behind China’s Yufeir Zhang, who notched the fastest time of the heats with 2:06.55.

“That was definitely part of my approach, knowing that I just had to get through to the semis so I just really wanted to conserve energy,” Dekkers said.

“I really didn’t want to push it too hard. Just get a lane.

“It’s definitely been nerve wracking, but I actually think it’s been great to watch everyone do so amazing and I’m just so excited to sort of be a part of it.

“As a group we definitely feed off each other so we’re only going to get better as the week goes on.”

Elsewhere, Australians See-Bom Lee and Bradley Woodward failed to qualify for the men’s 200m backstroke semi-finals after posting times of 1:58.30 and 2:00.50 during the heats.