Seventeen-year-old Lydia Jacoby ousted the world record holder to win gold in the Tokyo Olympic Games, and her fans back home in Alaska stole the show.
Jacoby, the first Olympic swimmer from Alaska to even make the team, held her own against the veterans in the women’s 100M breaststroke, just out touching both Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa and Lilly King — who holds the world record in the event and took home the gold medal in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. (RELATED: Australian Swimmer Topples Reigning US Champion Katie Ledecky In Fierce Battle For Olympic 400M Gold)
There is only one 50-meter pool in the state of Alaska.
Lydia Jacoby is the first @usaswimming athlete from Alaska.
Now, she’s got a gold medal. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/vv6eeRMekM
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 27, 2021
And although COVID-19 protocols have kept spectators out of the stands in Tokyo, Jacoby’s fans at a watch party in her hometown of Seward, Alaska, made their presence felt virtually as she reached for that wall.
ELECTRIC.
Relive the moment Lydia Jacoby’s friends and family cheered her on to GOLD from Seward, Alaska. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/jjLWAlaljy
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 27, 2021
This is how you supposed to rep your friends. The Alaskan watch party for Lydia Jacoby pic.twitter.com/KTN0gARqbT
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) July 27, 2021
I’ll forever regret not being at the Lydia Jacoby watch party. pic.twitter.com/yMuQ2CaBHo
— Riggs (@RiggsBarstool) July 27, 2021
This is probably the best video from the Olympics so far. Lydia Jacoby fan crew back in Alaska watching her win gold.
Pretty freakin cool. #Olympics pic.twitter.com/hyJH6cKGAO
— TJ Eckert (@TJEckertKTUL) July 27, 2021
King worked hard to defend her record going into the Tokyo games, going so far as to train in an Indiana pond when coronavirus lockdowns closed her pool.
Training during a pandemic after pools shut down was challenging for swimmers like Lilly King. Fourteen months ago, she did workouts in a Bloomington, Ind., pond.https://t.co/3CzYdtM2qC
— David Woods (@DavidWoods007) July 27, 2021
But despite missing out on repeat gold, King was all smiles after Jacoby’s surprise win.
“We love to keep that gold in the USA family, so this kid just had the swim of her life and I am so proud to be her teammate.”
Lydia Jacoby and @_king_lil react to their gold and bronze medals in the women’s 100m breaststroke. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/wIEXtFLkMq
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 27, 2021
“We love to keep that gold in the USA family, so this kid just had the swim of her life and I am so proud to be her teammate,” she said. “I’m proud to get bronze for my country.”