World Championships, Day Five Finals: Australia’s Super-Charged Golden Girls Make It Nine Gold in 4×200 Free Relay in World Record Time
Australia’s super-charged golden girls – Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Brianna Throssell and Ariarne Titmus – have won gold medal number nine for the Dolphins in the 4x200m freestyle relay in Fukuoka – smashing their own world record set at last year’s Birmingham Commonwealth Games by 1.79 seconds – with Aussies on the verge of their greatest ever world championships.
The dominant Dolphins – all from the same St Peters Western Swim Club in Queensland, lowered the world record to 7:37.50 to swim away from a brave US foursome who took silver in 7.41.38 with Olympic champions China winning bronze in 7:44.40.
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD…..RECORD: (L-R) Brianna Throssell, Mollie O’Callaghan and Shayna Jack going off. Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto.
The unstoppable Aussies were led off by reigning world champion and world record holder O’Callaghan in 1:53.66 – 0.81 outside her individual world mark and the sixth fastest time ever swum in a relay.
And they were brought home by a barnstorming Titmus, second to O’Callaghan in last night’s individual final, in the fastest ever relay split – the triple Olympic champion splitting 1:52.41 – 0.41 faster than she anchored the team home in Birmingham.
And in between Jack (1:55.63) and Throssell (1:55.80) swam perfect legs – Jack holding off the great Katie Ledecky (1:54.39), saving something for the crucial final lap after Ledecky chased her down over the first three laps.
O’Callaghan has now won three gold medals for the meet – adding tonight’s win to victories in the 4x100m freestyle on night one and in the 200m freestyle on night four – and every event in world record time.
It was the second gold medal of the meet for Titmus who earlier won gold in the 400m freestyle in world record time and silver in the 200m freestyle – the 800m to come.
While it gives both Throssell (a heat swimmer in the 4x100m) and Jack who swam in the final of the 4x100m) their second gold medals in a stellar first five days for the Australians.
The four relay girls are remarkably all from the same club team with St Peters Western Lutheran College in Brisbane and under the same coach Dean Boxall – likely the first time any club team has ever won World Championship gold and in a world record time.
Titmus has been part in this relay team since she was 16,. telling Australia’s Channel 9: “To see the progression every year it’s so exciting and for all of us to all train together under Dean and to take it to the world it’s just incredible.
“I think today the message was that this is about a team effort and I knew when the girls were coming in (ton the wall) and with me diving in next to the American I had to do my iob and try and stay calm and swim over the top of her and I’m just really happy that we got this job done.
SISTERS IN ARMS: Katie Ledecky and the UIS girls embrace the Australians on deck. Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
“I felt like on paper coming into this that this was our race to lose and I’m glad we really came together today and we were passionate about coming out here and swimming a fast 800 and we definitely did that.”
Throssell said she was lucky enough to experience what it felt like (to win and in a world record) in 2019 when she was part of that 4x200m team in Gwangju.
“Back then it was something you could only dream of and to do it again tonight is so special and to be alongside not only my Australian team mates but my club team mates from back in Brisbane is something you can only dream of again.
“To have four St Peters Western girls through to the final is something pretty exciting and I think all of us just wanted to come together tonight and do it for Dean and do it for SPW.”
O’Callaghan said she just had to think about getting the best lead off for the girls.
“I’m really proud of these girls, and especially the girls (who swam then heats) Madi Wilson, Lani Pallister and Kiah Melverton. I’m very thankful for them…It’s just phenomenal ..I am gobsmacked to be honest …”
Jack reflected on being a 100m freestyler, saying: “I knew Katie was coming at me and as Dean said just trust my gut and I know I could push that last 50 and to give Bri Throssell the best start that I could and that’s what I did (although) it was daunting knowing that Katie was next to me but I just did the job and gave these girls the best chance.”
It capped another golden night for the Dolphins, who finished with three gold and a silver with “King” Kyle Chalmers winning his maiden 100m freestyle crown while Kaylee McKeown won her second gold in the 50m backstroke, becoming the first swimmer to take the 50-100m double, with silver going to Lizzy Dekkers in the 200m butterfly.
It takes their gold medal tally to nine and with the four silver medals take the Australians to 13 medals overall.
OH WHAT A FEELING:Brianna Throssell and Shayna Jack. Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
The Australians established their first world record in this event back in 2008 when the team of Stephanie Rice, Bronte Barratt, Kylie Palmer and Linda Mackenzie won Olympic gold for the first time at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
And the recent dominance coincided with the arrival of Titmus at the 2019 World Championships when she was joined by Madi Wilson, Brianna Throssell and Emma McKeon to win gold at the Gwangju World Championships.
Titmus and Wilson then welcomed emerging teenager O’Callaghan and established middle distance champion Kiah Melverton into the ranks when this awesome foursome set the world mark at 7:40.33 at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
QUEENS OF THE POOL: (L-R) Brianna Throssell, Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack and Ariarne Titmus. Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
I thought titmus only won 2 Olympic golds?