Paris Olympics 2024: Australia claim gold in 4x200m freestyle relay with conquering anchor by Ariarne Titmus
Australia has obliterated the field and smashed an Olympic record to win gold and continue its dominance in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.
A team of Mollie O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Briana Throssel and swimming legend Ariarne Titmus landed another blow on the United States in the pool and claimed Australia’s eighth gold medal of the Paris Olympics.
The USA finished second and China, who gave Australia the stiffest competition in the early legs, claimed bronze.
Western Australia’s Throssel claimed the States’ first gold medal of these Olympics, while O’Callaghan is now a five-time gold medallist, drawing her level with pool champion Ian Thorpe.
Titmus now has four gold medals and two at these Olympics.
It also means Shayna Jack is now a gold medallist for the first time, five years after a doping ban rubbed her out of the Tokyo Games.
Jack and Jamie Perkins both swum in the heats.
For a renowned back-end swimmer, Australia’s newest golden girl O’Callaghan made a lightning start and led her entire leg, swimming a 1.53:52 that left her just above her own world record time.
Pallister, who pulled out of the 1500m freestyle with this race in mind as she battled COVID earlier in the meet, held onto Australia’s lead, while Throssel helped see off a push from legendary American Katie Ledecky.
The world record line slipped away from Throssel as China and Ledecky put her under immense pressure and threatened to snatch a late lead in the third leg.
Australia finished with a time of 7:38.0 after Titmus steadied the cause and stretched away from Erin Gemmell.
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