Paris Olympic Games Moreton Bay coverage – August 3

Australia – and former Redcliffe junior Renee Taylor – has finished on top of Pool B at the Paris Olympics tonight and is now preparing for the quarter-finals.

The Hockeyroos beat impressive Span 3-1 to end level on 11 points with Argentina – but take first place on goal difference.

Goals from Stephanie Kershaw and Kaitlin Nobbs late in the fourth quarter finally ended the Spanish resistance.

Taylor, who was born in Everton Park but is now based in Perth, was a key figure as the Hockeyroos finished well to take the points.

Australia, Argentina, Spain and Great Britain qualify for the quarter-finals, which start on Monday night.

Netherlands, Germany and Belgium are currently through from Pool A with Japan and China seemingly battling for the final place.

Sam Short’s Olympics are over after the Bunya resident finished well short of the top eight in the 1500m heats tonight.

The former Albany Creek swimmer now at Rackley, was sitting third at 1000m but finished seventh.

He clocked 14 minutes 58.15 seconds – which turned out to be 18 seconds off the fastest time in all heats.

Short was in the three longest distance races at the Paris Games – 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle.

He just missed a medal in the 400m, moving into third in the closing stages but slipping back to fourth, 14 one hundredths of a second off bronze.

A world championship silver medallist last year, Short was ninth fastest in the 800m freestyle heats, missing the final by one place.

Kaylee McKeown was not used in tonight’s 4x100m women’s medley relay heats, when Australia qualified fastest in 3 minutes 54.81 seconds.

McKeown was resting with her 200m individual medley final tomorrow at 5.08am AEST, but may come into the team for the medley relay final on Monday at 3.32am AEST.

Iona Anderson stepped in tonight for the backstroke leg, as she did in the 4x100m mixed medley relay heats yesterday, when the Aussies also made the final.

Again, McKeown is listed for the mixed medley relay. Swimming chiefs will now decide if she comes in tomorrow at 5.58am AEST – 50 minutes after her individual final.

Kaylee McKeown, the Redcliffe-born Caboolture-raised superstar, this morning swam into Australian swimming history, confirming her place as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT).

McKeown’s superb victory in the 200m backstroke made her the first Aussie to complete an Olympic double double.

And she is swimmer the first in the history of the Games to win back-to-back 100m and 200m backstroke crowns.

The former Australian Crawl swimmer at Burpengary is also the first Australian to have won four individual Olympic gold medals!

She now has gold from the 100m and 200m backstroke in both the Tokyo and now Paris Olympic Games.

McKeown told Channel Nine it was "pretty cool" and "amazing" to have such accolades after her name.

"It makes me feel a little bit shy," she said, "I started tearing up on the podium because I couldn’t go and see my family. 

"I can’t put words together how much I love my family.

"I’ve got so much more to give in this sport. It’s all down to my coach and my teammates.

"To be among that and the atmosphere here tonight is absolutely insane."

Mat Thompson, Channel Nine's lead commentator was effusive in his praise saying: “The best of the best have never achieved this.

"Kaylee McKeown is now forever an Olympic legend”.

Ian Thorpe, a five-time Olympic gold medallist, also said on Channel Nine: “Let’s celebrate her. She has created Australian history.

"I don’t think people realise how significant what she has achieved is. She’s done the double double.”

Fellow commentator Giaan Rooney said: "She understands history. She understands moments. She understands what was being asked of her tonight.

"What an amazing moment. A moment in history."

Accolades have been pouring in on social media, including Garth Tudor saying on the Australian Olympic Team Facebook post: "Undisputed Legend! - Australia is crying with joy and immensely proud."

McKeown, who went to St Paul’s Lutheran Primary School in Caboolture, smashed the Olympic record, which had stood since 2012, clocking 2 minutes 3.73 seconds en route to glory.

It was a typical McKeown swim, keeping close to the pacesetters in the first half of the race before her famed fast finish in the last 25m.

US star Regan Smith took silver, again behind McKeown, in 2:04.26 with Kylie Masse, of Canada, third in 2:05.57.

Less than an hour later, without having time to change after collecting her gold medal, McKeown qualified for the 200m individual medley final!

The 23-year-old was fifth in a fast second semi clocking 2 minutes 9.97 seconds and earning a place in tomorrow's final at 5.01am AEST.

Looking exhausted after a remarkable 60 minutes, McKeown was seventh fastest of the eight finalists and will have fellow Aussie Ella Ramsey alongside her.

McKeown may also be in the Australian 4x100 women's medley relay team which starts its heats tonight at 8.52pm AEST.

Then she may be drafted into the 4x100 mixed medley relay side for tomorrow's final which is at 5.34am AEST.

McKeown was not in the heats yesterday when Kyle Chalmers took Australia from seventh to first on the final 100m freestyle leg!