Paris 2024 swimming: All results, as People’s Republic of China win gold in men’s 4x100m medley relay

The final day of swimming at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on Sunday, 4 August saw the People’s Republic of China with Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Sun Jiajun and Pan Zhanle win gold in the men’s 4x100m medley relay with a time of 3:27.46.

The United States of America claimed silver with Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Caeleb Dressel and Hunter Armstrong with a time of 3:28.01. France finished with bronze for Yohann Ndoye-Brouard, Leon Marchand, Maxime Grousset and Florent Manaudou with a time of 3:28.38.

Both China and the U.S. had a great start with Murphy and Xu out front in the backstroke, followed by France’s Ndoye-Brouard just behind. At the transition, France’s Marchand, the 200-metre breaststroke champion, made up the deficit, but Great Britain’s Adam Peaty and China’s Qin overtook Marchand to finish with China leading.

Then it was China’s Sun and Grousset from France battling through the butterfly, with Team USA’s Dressel making up time to bring the Americans into second spot behind France going into the final freestyle relay. France’s Manaudou led, followed by Team USA’s Armstrong, only to have China’s Pan, the 100m freestyle gold-medallist, give chase and power through the final 50 metres, with Pan pushing through the power to win gold for his country.

China’s win ends the remarkable Team USA streak of winning the men’s 4x100m relay going back to LA 1984.

Pan, speaking through a translator, said, “This is magic for me. We make a good team and we got a good result.”

Xu was also delighted with the results, saying, “The whole Olympic Games journey for me is great. I am very satisfied.”

Dressel, speaking on behalf of his team, said, "For Team USA, the expectation is [winning] gold. That's traditionally what we strive for and I don't think that changes in any Olympic cycle.

"That was a close race [today]. It came down to the wire. [China] had four great splits. We had four great splits. But they were faster. It's as simple as that."

Murphy shared Dressel’s sentiment, saying, “Today, China was just a little bit better. All of us going in [that competition], we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be great out there.

"It is hard to get separation in that race. It was really tight all the way through. Hats off to China, they had a great race tonight."

The incredible performance of the French swimmers led by Marchand at these Olympic Games seemed to have finally set in following the relay.

“To see these emotions for Maxime and Yohan was the best way to finish the week," said Manaudou. "I’m so happy, thanks to Leon, who launched us so well at the start of the week."

The Frenchman, taking in the precious final moments of swimming at Paris 2024 and the raucous electricity of the home crowds at La Defense Arena, said, “We won’t live something like that again. Even if we host the European Championship in 2026, it won’t be with that crowd, so I told the boys to enjoy it all around the pool, even if it takes 20 minutes.”

This bronze medal marks a fifth Olympic medal for Marchand, He said that it matters “just as much as the other medals. Now it’s shared, so it’s multiplied. That was so good.

“At 300 metres we hugged each other because we thought we’d be first. That was emotionally special, the last Olympic race at home. That’s the cherry on the top of the cake tonight, five medals out of five."

Marchand saluted the booming crowd at the venue, saying, “When I came out of the water, my ears exploded because of the crowd sound. All my family was there. My friends from USA and from Toulouse. It was crazy.”

Marchand, the face of these Olympic Games, finished an incredible run at Paris 2024. “My week was incredible. I came to grab a medal, I leave Paris with five,” he said.

Swimming: Men’s 4x100m medley relay

Gold: People's Republic of China
Silver: United States of America
Bronze: France

See all the results on Olympics.com