Australia make waves with world record in women’s 4x100m freestyle relay
Australia win first Olympic relay in the pool; their third consecutive win in the women’s 4x100m freestyle event
Swimming
Australia has won its first gold medal of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay in a new world record.
The team of Bronte Campbell, her elder sister Cate, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris finished in a time of 3:29.69. Canada claimed the silver medal, with USA winning bronze.
The Australian quartet’s time at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre shaved 0.36 seconds off the previous world record, which was set by the Australian team at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
The first swimming relay gold of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was also Australia's third consecutive one in the event.
"Breaking the world record is incredible," said Bronte Campbell. "We were just going out there to do our job and see what we could do and to go under three minutes, 30 seconds with this team is pretty incredible."
"I couldn't have asked for a better team of these three girls plus the two who were in the heats."
Bronte, 27, got Australia off to a good start, before handing over to Meg Harris in second place behind Sweden.
The Olympic debutant gave Australia the lead and they never looked back.
Emma McKeon set up the victory with a brilliant third leg of 51.35, the fastest relay split of the final.
By the time Cate finished the race, Australia were three seconds ahead of second-placed Canada.
Canada, won a bronze medal in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, beat USA to the silver medal by the narrowest of margin – just 0.03 seconds.
Netherlands missed out on the podium in 4th, with Great Britain in 5th. Sweden, People’s Republic of China and Denmark rounded off the standings in sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.