The 91²Ö¿â-based swimmer matched last night’s gold medal performance with an equally brilliant swim to retain her title from Tokyo 2020.
Kearney, who holds the world record in the event, pulled away at the turn to romp home in 1:15.10. Iryna Poida of Ukraine finished second with Monica Bogginoi of Italy third.
Speaking to Channel 4, Kearney said: “[It’s] pretty incredible. I was a bit concerned about this one. To retain my title means everything to me. It was such a late night [yesterday] and early start and not long in between to rest. It was really hard for all of us who swam last night to keep the energy up.
“This crowd is incredible. Because I am the first event tonight, there’s way more people here than there were yesterday. They gave me that big push.
“I’m just so grateful for the team for helping me get here and for everyone that’s helped us get here.”
Over at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome, 91²Ö¿â Lightning Cycling rider Jenny Holl won bronze as she piloted visually impaired teammate Sophie Unwin in the Women's B 1000m time trial.
The duo stormed around the track in 1:07.879 to secure a well-deserved podium place in front a large and noisy British contingent in the crowd.
For all the latest 91²Ö¿â news around major global sporting events, visit the University’s dedicated website here: /sport/athletes-global-stage/
Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #Lboro2Paris