Australia’s 4x200m freestyle relay team live up to expectations to claim Olympic gold

In recent years, the women’s 200m freestyle race has been the scene of an enthralling duel between Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan. Tokyo champion against world champion, the pair have traded world records and then, on Monday night, the Olympic crown. O’Callaghan’s victory over Titmus was the culmination of a thrilling struggle between two great freestyle champions.

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On Thursday night, rivals became teammates as Titmus and O’Callaghan lifted Australia to the gold medal and a new Olympic record in the women’s 4x200 freestyle relay. It is the Dolphins’ fifth gold medal in six days in the Paris 2024 pool, with three days of competition remaining.

Along with Brianna Throssell and Lani Pallister (who is still recovering from Covid), the podium pair from Monday’s individual event laid down a dominant team performance. Having the individual gold and silver medallist in the team certainly helps – O’Callaghan set a rapid time in the opening leg, touching under world record pace, before Titmus anchored the Dolphins to gold.

Such was Australia’s dominance that they led at every single turn through the 800m race. Once O’Callaghan was away, the Dolphins would not be stopped. China put up a fight in the second leg, Li Bingjie gaining ground on Pallister, before Throssell had to battle to keep Chutong Ge and American swim great Katie Ledecky at bay.

Enter Titmus. Australia’s lead had slimmed to less than half a second. But the Tasmanian swim queen threw down a dominant anchor leg, chasing the world record line and leaving American finisher Erin Gemmell in her wake. The team’s own world record time just got away from Titmus in the final metres, but the Australians set a new Olympic mark in 7:38.08, more than two seconds quicker than the Chinese gold medal time in Tokyo.

It is Australia’s first gold medal in the women’s 4x200m relay since 2008. The United States ultimately touched in second, while China collected the bronze medal.

“I feel like a bit of redemption for us,” said Titmus after the race. “Tokyo was definitely not the result we wanted. I personally wasn’t happy with how I performed in the relay in Tokyo, so I put pressure on myself to lift for this team, I feel like I have a role to play in this team, and do the best job I can. I think I did that tonight.”

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It was a powerful display of Australia’s speciality in the relay discipline. Australian head coach Rohan Taylor has previously spoken of wanting to go “seven from seven,” by winning a medal in all seven of the relays on the program; in Tokyo, the Dolphins went six from seven, only failing to secure a medal in the men’s medley relay (Australia finished fifth).

So far in Paris, the team is on target: gold in the women’s 4x100 freestyle and silver in the men’s 4x100 freestyle on the opening night, followed by bronze in the men’s 4x200m and now gold in the women’s equivalent. Four from four, with three to go – although the challenge will be all the greater in medley relays, given stroke-specific shortcomings in the Dolphins squad.

Earlier in the night, Queensland rising star Elizabeth Dekkers finished equal fourth in the women’s 200m butterfly final, while 19-year-old compatriot Abbey Connor placed seventh. 2023 world champion Cameron McEvoy, the oldest member of the Dolphins squad in Paris, was equal-fastest through the men’s 50m final, showing ominous form ahead of Friday night’s blockbuster one-lap dash. Teammate Ben Armbruster missed the final, placing 14th overall.

Kaylee McKeown continued her strong Paris meet, qualifying second fastest for the 200m backstroke just 48 hours after she won gold in the 100m event. But there was less luck for Thomas Neill and William Petric, neither Australian able to progress through the semi-finals of the men’s 200m individual medley.

But the relay, the final event of the evening, was always going to be the big moment for Australia on day six, and the team emphatically delivered. After the medal ceremony there was a touching moment as O’Callaghan placed her gold around the neck of 19-year-old Jamie Perkins, who swam the relay heat for Australia on Thursday morning (along with Throssell, Pallister and Shayna Jack). While relay heat swimmers are subsequently given medals, they are not permitted to join the ceremony or stand on the dais.

“I’m really excited to share this medal with all of them,” O’Callaghan said, about the teamwork that had lifted Australia to gold on Thursday.