Australia’s history-making Olympic campaign has continued in Paris with two silver medals and two bronze on day 13.

Moesha Johnson became Australia’s most successful marathon swimmer, winning silver in the 10-kilometre marathon in the polluted Seine and celebrating with a bug-busting coke and a dose of antibiotics.

Australia’s men’s sprint kayak crew ended a 12-year drought with second place in the K4 – missing out on gold by just millimetres in a tense photo finish.

Boxers Charlie Senior and Caitlin Parker lost their boxing semi-finals, but still claimed rare bronze medals for Australia in the sport.

Moesha Johnson (left) with Dutch bestie Sharon van Rouwendaal, who won gold, and bronze medallist Ginevra Taddeucci, from Italy. Photo: Getty

Silver in the Seine

Moesha Johnson has won a silver for Australia in the Olympic 10-kilometre marathon swimming event, beaten only by her Dutch best friend Sharon van Rouwendaal.

Johnson’s medal was earned the hard way in the brutal polluted currents of the Seine, and she celebrated afterwards with a Coca-Cola and a dose of antibiotics.

After a typically rough-and-tumble race in which she picked up scratches from boat plants and bruises from hitting the river wall, Johnson proudly clutched her medal with no concerns about getting ill from her dramatic morning’s toil.

“I trust my staff and the medical advice, I trust the [water quality] results were within good boundaries, so I’ve no doubts,” the 26-year-old said.

“Yes, I have had a Coca-Cola, but I’ll go home and have some antibiotics as well – and that’s my plan.

“The water? I’ve tasted worse, to be honest.

“But it’s not about what the water looks like. I’ve swum in brown water and it’s been really good quality. It’s about what the data shows us.”

Johnson, who was sixth in the 1500-metre final in the pool a week earlier, reckoned the race, which came down to a thrilling battle between her, Italian Ginevra Taddeucci and her German-based best pal van Rouwendaal, had been a matchless showcase for open water swimming.

“It was so dramatic and historic. If you don’t want conditions like this, you may as well do a 10 kilometres in a pool. It’s a completely different event. I absolutely enjoyed the challenge.”

Australia’s other fancied swimmer Chelsea Gubecka, the 2023 world silver medalist, was 14th in 2:06.17.8..

Germany crosses the finish first, followed by Australia. Photo: Getty

Sprint kayak photo finish

The Australian K4 crew has powered to silver in the Olympic sprint kayak 500-metre final, ending a 12-year medal drought.

In a tense photo finish, Riley Fitzsimmons, Jackson Collins, Pierre van der Westhuyzen and Noah Havard were edged by just 0.04 seconds by Germany, who won their third successive K4 title.

The Australians looked shattered when the result of the photo finish came through at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium but quickly realised that a silver medal was something to celebrate.

“That initial feeling was a little bit gutted, we were so close to gold,” said 25-year-old Collins, whose blossoming AFL career was wrecked by knee injuries.

“We knew that we could go out and really push for a win and to be so close, that initial feeling was a little bit of disappointment but then it wears off pretty quick.”

Australia’s Riley Fitzsimmons, Pierre Van Der Westhuyzen, Jackson Collins and Noah Havard. Photo: Getty

Teammate Fitzsimmons, competing in the K4 at his third Games, said he knew the pain of missing the podium altogether. Australia’s last medal was a gold in London in 2012, when the event was raced over 1000 metres.

“This is my third go at an Olympics and trying to medal in this race, and I’ve sat on that dock and been bitterly disappointed with not picking up anything,” the 28-year-old said.

“To come away with a silver medal, I’m just so proud of how much hard work and sacrifice we’ve put in and so happy that we’ve come away with something.”

Boxing bronze

Caitlin Parker’s brave shot at a historic boxing gold has fallen agonisingly short, the Australian joining compatriot Charlie Senior and settling for rare boxing bronze.

Parker is the first Australian women to win an Olympic boxing medal, but she was one good round from being either silver or gold as an upset brewed at Roland Garros on Thursday night.

The Australian boxing captain won on all five cards in a smart first round but Chinese opponent Li Qian came right back with a 5-0 second round.

Bloodied-nosed, Parker (75 kilograms) swung freely in the final round but the Chinese favourite won on every card to secure a brilliant comeback, unanimous victory.

There are no third-placed fights in the Olympics, meaning both beaten semi-finals are awarded bronze medals.

Barely half an hour earlier, Senior had claimed just the seventh Olympic boxing medal for Australia, well beaten by highly-rated Uzbek Abdumalik Khalokov in their semi-final.

Senior (57 kilograms) won the second round on one judge’s card and one round on another judge’s card in the final round as he tried valiantly to lay a glove on the razor-sharp Uzbek.

Charlie Senior (right) in action against Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalokov. Photo: Getty

But the Uzbek otherwise cruised in a 5-0 win, Senior replicating Harry Garside’s bronze in Tokyo three years ago that ended Australia’s 33-year wait for a boxing medal.

No Australian has won an Olympic gold in boxing, with the two defeats on Thursday (local) meaning the 120-year hunt will continue through to the Los Angeles Games.

-with AAP