Shock results for Aussie women in the pool at Rio

“I can’t swim that fast, it’s not possible for me”, she said.

Australian National Head Coach Jacco Verhaeren spoke to the media after the women’s 100m freestyle race, conveying that ‘swimming in an Olympic final is the most hard thing for an athlete to do – and it shows’.

World record holder Cate and her world champion sister Bronte were drawn in separate semis as they prepared to write another chapter in their unusual rivalry, just days after winning 4 x 100m freestyle relay gold together.

She was overrun in the final stages by Simone Manuel and Penny Oleksiak who tied in an Olympic record time – the first in Olympic swimming since 1984.

Cate Campbell of Australia competes in the second Semifinal of the Women’s 100m Freestyleon Day 5 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 10, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“But maybe I’ve got another four years left in me”. They already became the first sisters in swimming history to share a gold medal when they won the 4x100m freestyle earlier in the week, and now they have two opportunities-50m freestyle and 100 freestyle-to become the first siblings in Olympic history to share a podium in an individual event.

Americans Simone Manuel and Abbey Weitzel also qualified for the semifinals, with Manuel recording the second-fastest preliminary time behind Campbell.

All Aussie eyes will be on Mitch Larkin in the men’s 200m backstroke final, as the second fastest qualifier and the reigning World Champion in the event. “Going into this week I thought the goal was obviously two golds”.

‘It was wonderful, I barely had any breath left, just enough to cheer her home.

In the women’s 200m breaststroke, Taylor McKeown faded late to finish in fifth position after looking a medal chance for much of the race. She looked comfortable enough but the Canadian is getting faster every time she swims and now looms as a serious threat to the pair’s recent dominance.

“I’m really happy with Bronte’s performance tonight”, Cusack said.

Moments later the news wasn’t as bright for Emily Seebohm, who finished sixth in the women’s 200m backstroke semi-final to miss a spot in the final, but in the other semi her team-mate Belinda Hocking finished third to qualify for the final.

The overwhelming favourite going into the 100m freestyle final, Campbell finished a disappointing sixth.