FLASH! Australia Destroys Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay World Record In 7:30.87

Lani Pallister: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

A Special Thanks to Deep Blue Media for providing the images from this meet

FLASH! Australia Destroys Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay World Record In 7:30.87

Australia took almost two seconds off the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay world record in 7:30.87 at the World Short-Course Championships in Melbourne.

Lani Pallister made it three golds in as many races as she anchored the team of Madi Wilson, Mollie O’Callaghan and Leah Neale to a time that sliced 1.98 from the previous mark of 7:32.85 that had stood to the Netherlands since the Doha worlds in 2014.

Taylor Ruck overhauled Leah Smith on the final leg to secure silver for Canada ahead of the United States.

Day 2 Results

Live Results

Splits:

Wilson: 1:53.13

O’Callaghan: 1:52.83

Neale: 1:52.67

Pallister: 1:52.24

Canada were first after 200 thanks to a 1:52.15 opening leg by Rebecca Smith which saw them 2.58secs under world-record pace.

However, a huge second leg by O’Callaghan steered Australia into the lead and they handed over on the final leg 1.49secs inside the WR before Pallister brought them home.

Before the race however, O’Callaghan had to endure severe stomach cramps during her swim-down following her 100 back silver with host broadcaster Channel 9 showing live pictures of the 18-year-old in tears and holding her side as she stood in the warm-down pool.

Coach Dean Boxall and an Australian Team staff member crouching down comforting a distressed O’Callaghan when she stopped in the middle of her post race swim down, just minutes before she was required for the medal presentation and in the countdown to the 4x200m freestyle relay final.

O’Callaghan recovered, was smiling alongside fellow Australian and gold medal winner Kaylee McKeown with their medals, as they stood arm in arm for the Australian National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair.

The next pictures were of O’Callaghan powering through the second leg of what would be a gold medal-winning, world record-breaking relay.

Mollie O then revealed her agonizing ordeal to Olympic champion and Channel 9 expert commentator Giaan Rooney saying:

“After racing sometimes I get severe (stomach) cramps and everything seizes up…and I have to thank the Australian support team led by coach Dean Boxall for helping me along the way.

“They were running around helping me…and I am very thankful for them helping me along the way….getting me back up to race…and the race was not about me, it was about Australia…and I had to stand up and do it for the rest of the girls.”

For Pallister, the relay was her third title of the meet so far following gold in the 400 and 800 free.

She said:

“I was able to trust my abilities. Having that confidence, more than anything, going into the 4 x 200.

“Swimming is a mind game more than it is a physical one.

“That was my first ever 4 x 200m final. I was a heats swimmer at the beginning of the year.

“The Australian coaches called me up tonight and trusted me with a ‘dirty double’ of the 800m free and the relay.

“I wanted to put my best foot forward. I was able to show that I was a versatile swimmer.

“I definitely looked at that record coming into this meet and we thought it was going to be something that was achievable.

“Without my teammates this would not have been possible-

“It was a massive team effort and it was crazy to have three world records broken at this meet.”

It was a second relay medal of the week for Ruck who was also part of the women’s 4×1 free that took bronze.

She said:

“It feels amazing, just to share this experience with the rest of the girls. It’s also nice for me personally, and oh my gosh, we’re having a blast.

“I didn’t really go into this with any expectations just have a blast. And it’s kind of a weird training time.

“The event is well set up and the crowd just the goes wild. Its just cool to hear the roar again. Australia loves its swimming.”

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