Kaylee McKeown [Source: Reuters]

Kaylee McKeown lost her father to a terminal illness a year before the Tokyo Games, but his memory continues to drive her to ever-higher achievement at the Olympics.

On Tuesday, McKeown retained her 100m backstroke crown from Tokyo, crushing American rival Regan Smith to earn her fourth Olympic gold medal and join a select group of swimmers with three individual titles.

As ever, McKeown had her father Sholto on her mind as she reeled in Smith and bronze winner Katharine Berkoff during a typically furious final lap.

The 23-year-old Australian has a tattoo on her foot which says “I’ll always be with you”, the ink added after her father lost his battle with brain cancer.

McKeown gave Australia their fourth swimming gold of the meet, and the country sits atop the swimming medal table after four days, two titles ahead of their rivals the United States.

A strong medal chance in both the 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley (IM), McKeown would become the first Australian Olympian with four individual golds if she wins either event.

McKeown was disqualified for an illegal turn in the 200 IM at last year’s World Championships in Fukuoka and would like to put things to rights in Paris, where she will likely battle Canada’s brilliant teenager Summer McIntosh for the gold medal.