Paris Olympic Games Moreton Bay coverage – August 2

Australia, with two players from North Brisbane Polo Bears in Albany Creek, moved top of Pool B tonight in the Olympic women’s water polo.

Alice Williams and Charlize Andrews were both on the scoresheet as the Stingers beat third-placed Canada 10-7.

That sent the Aussies, who had already qualified for the quarter-finals, above Netherlands by one point. Both sides have one match to play.

Williams finished with three goals from ten shots and Andrews one goal from four attempts as the Stingers maintained their unbeaten record in Paris.

They finish the Pool B fixtures against Hungary, which is currently fourth, on Sunday at 10pm AEST.

Above: Ella Connolly. Picture: Athletics Australia Casey Sims

Sprinter Ella Connolly, who spent 10 years at Deception Bay Little Athletics, was only a fraction short of her season’s best tonight but has missed the Olympic semi-finals.

In heat three Connolly, who grew up and went to school in Burpengary, finished sixth in 11.29 seconds – just off her best this year of 11.26 and personal best 11.25.

But in Paris she was 0.19-of-a-second off third place and automatic qualification for the semis and outside the top three fastest losers.

Channel Nine commentators were still full of praise for Ella and her time after a series of injuries and said her performances bodes well for the future.

However, Connolly is part of our 4x100m relay team which is Australia’s first to qualify for the Olympics since Sydney 2000.

The squad booked its place in the Bahamas three months ago smashing the national record with 42.83 seconds.

Round one is on Thursday evening at 7.10pm AEST.

Kaylee McKeown tonight eased into the 200m individual medley semi-finals, doing just enough to qualify from her heat.

Sitting outside the top three, Redcliffe-born Caboolture-raised McKeown came through late in the freestyle leg on the final 50m.

She touched third, the final qualifying position from each heat, clocking a comfortable 2 minutes 11.26 seconds, well down on her best of 2:06.63.

Conserving energy for her 200m backstroke final early tomorrow, McKeown paced her race well to be ninth fastest in the semi-finals tomorrow night (AEST).

However, her attention immediately turned to the 200m backstroke final at 4.36am tomorrow when she bids be the first Australian swimmer to complete an Olympic double double.

The 23-year-old is aiming to win the 100m and 200m backstroke titles at successive Games having already done the double in Tokyo.

On Wednesday McKeown retained her 100m crown in a dramatic final. Now history beckons in the 200m backstroke final!

Stunning finish

Kyle Chalmers produced a remarkable final leg in the 4x100m mixed medley relay heats tonight to drag Australia from seventh to first.

That won the first heat in 3 minutes 41.42 seconds and booked Australia’s place in Sunday’s final at 5.34am AEST second fastest behind the US.

Australia swimming chiefs will decide is Kaylee McKeown comes into the team for the backstroke leg. Iona Anderson swam tonight’s heat.

Picture: Delly Carr, Swimming Australia

Kaylee McKeown, born and raised in Moreton Bay, cruised into her second final of the Paris Olympic Games this morning.

The superstar of Australian swimming eased through her 200m backstroke semi-final, winning in 2 minutes 7.57 seconds.

McKeown, 23, has qualified second fastest for tomorrow morning’s final at 4.36am AEST, behind Phoebe Bacon of the US.

Doing no more than necessary, McKeown kept the field at arm’s length and moved clear in the last 25m.

9Now commentators said the former Caboolture resident was “not puffing at all” and “the best we’ve ever had”

It sets her up for the final leg of an Olympic double double. Having already defended her 100m backstroke crown she is now close to retain the 200m title.

The Hockeyroos, with former Redcliffe junior Renee Taylor, produced a stunning finish to their top-of-the-table clash with Argentina this morning.

An equaliser by Mariah Williams, with just one second left on the clock, clinched a thrilling 3-3 draw in Pool B.

It completed a courageous fightback from the Australians who trailed 2-0 after the first quarter against a side ranked second in the world.

The Hockeyroos, world ranked four, pulled back to 2-2 only for Argentina to take the lead again in the final quarter.

Then, with just one second left, Williams deflected a penalty corner high into the net ... and the celebrations began.

Australia, who had already qualified for the quarter-finals, sits top of Pool B ahead of their final match against Spain on Saturday 8.45pm AEST.