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AAP
AAP
Sport
Steve Larkin and Phil Blanche

Stubblety-Cook wins 200m breaststroke gold

Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook has won the gold medal in the men's 200m breaststroke in Tokyo. (AAP)

Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook has won the gold medal in the men's 200-metres breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics.

The 22-year-old triumphed in Thursday's final to deliver Australia a seventh gold medal of the Tokyo Games.

Making his Olympic debut, the New South Welshman entered the medal race as favourite - he was fastest qualifier and also held the world's quickest time in the event this year.

Stubblety-Cook turned in fourth spot at the halfway stage and was third with 50 metres to swim.

The Australian then produced a stunning last lap to win in two minutes 06.38 seconds from Arno Kamminga (2:07.01) of the Netherlands and Finland's Matti Mattson (2:07.13).

"You can only be an underdog once, right? I had that luxury," he said.

"It was an experienced field but through the heat and semi it was quite exciting that I had a little bit more to give.

"I was happy enough to be here as this time last year we didn't think the Games were going to happen."

Zac Stubblety-Cook has won the gold medal in the men's 200m breaststroke in Tokyo. (AAP)

Stubblety-Cook admitted being somewhat unnerved by the hot pace set y the Dutchman Kamminga.

"Absolutely. But I was there to execute a race plan," he said.

"And I was obviously pretty happy with the way it pulled off.

"I knew there would be a few people going for it from the start.

"The last time it was won from someone in lane eight, no-one could see him and he held on.

"I was just happy to execute my race plan and do what I do best."

Stubblety-Cook becomes an Olympic gold medallist three years after being a heat swimmer at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The self-described perfectionist has been travelling an upward curve ever since, winning his first international medal - 200m breaststroke silver - at the Pan Pacs the following year.

At the 2019 world titles, Stubblety-Cook finished fourth in his pet event and at Australia's selection trials in June for the Tokyo Games, he logged the fastest time of the year, a Commonwealth record 2:06.28.

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