PARIS: World record holder Thomas Ceccon of Italy made a thrilling late surge to claim the men’s 100m backstroke gold at the Paris Olympics on Monday.
The former world champion touched the wall in exactly 52 seconds, edging China’s silver medallist Xu Jiayu by 0.32 of a second at La Defense Arena.
American Ryan Murphy took bronze and was brave in his bid for a second Olympic gold in the event, eight years after being champion at the 2016 Rio Games.
Xu led for most of the race but Ceccon found another gear to condemn the veteran Chinese swimmer to a second 100m backstroke silver, eight years after he finished runner-up to Murphy.
For the rangy Ceccon, it was confirmation of his talent since announcing himself with the world record in 2022 and claiming the world title in Budapest that year.