Tokyo (AFP)
Under a neutral flag, Russians Evgeny Rylov and Kliment Kolesnikov won gold and silver in the 100m backstroke at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, ahead of 2016 Olympic champion, American Ryan Murphy.
Rylov, 24, more of a specialist in the 200 m backstroke where he won bronze in Rio as well as during the 2015 Worlds in Kazan, won in 51 sec 98, beating his 21-year-old compatriot with one breath. (52.00), while Murphy was unable to join in their fight (52.19).
The first two races had rather highlighted Kolesnikov then Murphy: in the series, the young Russian had clearly cut his effort after turning ahead of the world record set by the American in Rio (51.85), but Murphy had it. ahead of five hundredths in the semi-finals (52.24 against 52.29).
By offering himself his first Olympic medal, before starting the 100m freestyle heats in the evening, Kolesnikov nonetheless made up for his disappointment at the recent European Championships in Budapest.
Great favorite after breaking the world record in the 50m backstroke, he was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 100m backstroke, unable to continue after his title in the 100m freestyle.
"As anyone can see, I'm not a robot or Michael Phelps," said the baby-faced swimmer, spotted in the pink-cap swimming pools he wears to help his grandmother see him from behind. TV.
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