Emma McKeon – Photo Credit: Flickr

Emma McKeon can add to Australia’s golden haul in a women’s 100m freestyle final packed with champions and record holders at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday.

After she smashed the Olympic record in the preliminary heats with a personal best of 52.13 seconds, McKeon started in lane four in pursuit of her fourth medal of the Games. 

Hong Kong’s 200m freestyle silver medallist Siobhan Haughey could be McKeon’s closest challenger then followed by Australia’s former world champion and triple Olympic relay gold medallist Cate Campbell.

The field also features Canada’s defending Olympic champion Penny Oleksiak, Sweden’s world record holder Sarah Sjostrom and 2016 medley relay gold medallist Abbey Weitzeil from the United States.

Australia have won five golds for swimming, four provided by women. However, McKeon has yet to win an individual title. “She’s in good form,” Australia’s five-time gold medallist Ian Thorpe told Seven television. “But, of course, she’s up against Cate Campbell and the likes of the best competitors in the world. So that one’s a tough one to call, but I think she will medal in that.”

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker has the world record in her sights in the women’s 200m breaststroke after qualifying close to the mark.