Australia has snagged another gold medal at the Paris Olympics, this time in doubles tennis, and surged to a silver in windsurfing — with both events ending decades-long medal droughts in those disciplines.

There were also more medals for Australia in the pool.

Ariarne Titmus won silver in the 800m freestyle against US legend Kate Ledecky while Kaylee McKeown was elevated to bronze in the 200m medley after a disqualification.

Australia’s mixed 4x100m medley team took bronze medals.

Surprise doubles gold

Perth neighbours Matt Ebden and John Peers are celebrating a delightfully unexpected gold medal, becoming only the second Australian tennis champions at the Olympics.

The two unseeded 36-year-old veterans, stalwarts of the doubles scene for so long, enjoyed a late-career crowning moment as they rallied to beat American fourth seeds Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-1) [10-8] in a nail-biting Roland Garros men’s doubles gold medal match on Saturday.

They became the only Australian gold medallists in Olympic tennis after ‘The Woodies’, Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde lifted the 1996 title in the same event in Atlanta.

“It’s an absolute honour. Anytime we get mentioned along with same breath as those two, they paved the way for us,” said Peers.

Matthew Ebden and John Peers celebrate match point at Roland Garros. Photo: Getty

Between them, Peers and Ebden have won a hatful of titles, including grand slams, but they’d never had a moment quite like this.

Their wives and kids were on hand to hug them on Court Philippe Chatrier, one of the world’s great tennis amphitheatres, after they prevailed in three tie-breaks in the most entertaining of showdowns.

Asked if it was his best tennis moment, Ebden smiled: “It probably is. Winning slams, winning Wimbledon, we’ve been into the Davis Cup finals the last couple of years …. but I mean, the Olympics? Gold? Really?

“It only comes around once every four years and even just to play it is ridiculous. To win a gold medal, I think it’s like folklore. It’s beyond me.”

And to do it with Peers, a Melburnian buddy who now lives a street away from him in Perth, with their wives and children having become the best of friends too, it was all extra special.

“Some miracle work has happened and somehow we’ve now got a gold medal for our streets,” beamed Ebden.

Matthew Ebden’s family was courtside. Photo: Getty

A hard-earned one, too. The huge sign on Chatrier says “Victory belongs to the most tenacious” and that was definitely the case here as the Aussie duo clawed back from a set and 4-2 down, when all seemed lost with the American Davis Cup pair beginning to dominate.

But the Australians, who’d played a few tournaments together and reached a couple of finals, just wouldn’t lie down, with Ebden relighting their fire, playing a brilliant game in the second set to help break Ram for 4-4 before exhorting the crowd, including plenty of compatriots, to get behind them.

Down to a second tiebreak, Perth’s Ebden and Melbourne’s Peers began to play their best tennis to drop just one point and take the match into a super tiebreak finale, with the gold for the first to 10 points.

It looked plain sailing when Peers and Ebden raced into an 8-3 lead, including one astonishing piece of retrieving from the back of the court by a scrambling Peers that enabled them to prevail in a seemingly unwinnable point.

But nerves kicked in as the Americans hit back and saved three match points. Ebden agonisingly missed the easiest volley of all at 9-7.

With Ellie, one of his two little daughters in the stand crossing her fingers for dad, Peers then dug his mate out of a potential hole by putting away the winning smash at 9-8 before the two old pals jumped into each other’s arms.

Peers wanted the moment to inspire his biggest fans. “I hope it can make them dream big and know the sky’s the limit, that they can do anything they want to put their minds to,” said one proud dad.

Australian windsurfer snags silver

Grae Morris is hoping his first Olympic medal isn’t his last after the young Sydney windsurfer snared silver in a high-velocity final in Marseille.

The 20-year-old bagged Australia’s first medal in the event since Lars Kleppich brought home bronze from Barcelona more than 30 years ago, finishing behind Israel’s Tom Reuveny in their three-sailor win-take-all showdown.

Windsurfer Grae Morris savours the pinnacle moment of his life. Photo: Getty

Morris said winning a medal was the “pinnacle” of his young life and something he was already hopeful of repeating.

“I’m just ecstatic and I’m super happy and I can’t compare it to any other moment in my life,” Morris said.

“This is really the pinnacle in my 20 years so I really hope I get to have this feeling again.

“It’s best feeling in the world — to say I have a medal and to say it all paid off.”

Titmus PB, and a disqualification

Ariarne Titmus is thrilled with another silver lining to her Olympics after  pushing American Katie Ledecky further into Olympic legend.

Ledecky held off a brave challenge from Australian ace Titmus to win the women’s 800m freestyle for a remarkable fourth-consecutive Olympics.

Australia’s Kaylee McKeown collected two bronze medals on Saturday night in Paris, in the women’s 200m individual medley and the mixed 4x100m medley.

Titmus shadowed Ledecky in their showdown for the intial 600m before the American finished with a trademark flourish to salute in eight minutes 11.04 seconds – a dozen years to the day after she first won the event at the 2012 Olympics.

Titmus finished in 8:12.29 — a personal best — and ends her Paris Games with two gold medals and two silvers.

Ariarne Titmus and American superfish Katie Ledecky compete in the final of the women’s 800m freestyle. Photo: Getty

“This is the toughest week of racing you can possibly do,” Titmus said.

“I gave it everything. I said to myself I wouldn’t sleep at night if I felt like I left anything out there.

“I’m so proud of my efforts. I took it to her, I challenged her and I made it a great race and I gave it everything.

“She just had an extra bit in the legs at the end but she’s an absolute champion.

“I know how hard it is to defend a title. It’s so much harder to win a second time and to be on top for over 12 years is unbelievable.”

Titmus won gold in the 400m freestyle, was part of Australia’s triumphant 4x200m freestyle relay team, and also placed second behind teammate Mollie O’Callaghan in the 200m freestyle.

Another Olympic medal for Ariarne Titmus’ collection. Photo: Getty

McKeown added to her medal collection with bronze in a dramatic 200m medley which was raced with Australia’s Ella Ramsay, a late withdrawal after testing positive to COVID.

The Queenslander touched the wall in fourth place but was elevated to the podium when American Alex Walsh, who provisionally finished third, was disqualified for not correctly completing the backstroke leg.

Canada’s Summer McIntosh captured her third gold medal in Paris and Kate Douglass from the United States took the silver.

Australia’s McKeown then backed up to the help the Dolphins’ 4x100m mixed relay team pocket a bronze medal.

McKeown, Josh Yong, Matt Temple and Mollie O’Callaghan finished in the wake of the United States, who set a world record, and silver medallists China.

Australia’s Shayna Jack and Meg Harris booked berths in the women’s 50m freestyle medal race on Sunday night, the last night of competition at the Paris pool.

Jack (24.29 seconds) and Harris (24.33) were ranked fourth and fifth respectively through the semi-finals.

The field will be chasing Swede Sarah Sjostrom who touched in an Olympic record 23.66 – just five-hundredths of a second shy of her world record set at last year’s world championships.

Australia’s Temple finished seventh in the men’s 100m butterfly final won by Hungarian Kristo Milak before featuring in the mixed medley final.