World Aquatics Championships 2023: Australia women power to gold by smashing own 4x200m freestyle relay world record

Australia's women made headlines with another relay gold and world record in the 4x200m freestyle at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships on Thursday (27 July), to follow up on their historic performance in the 4x100m relay from the opening night in Fukuoka, Japan.

Mollie O'Callaghan gave Australia the lead from the first leg of the relay with Shayna Jack and Brianna Throssell keeping the momentum, and Ariarne Titmus securing the gold in a world-record time of 7:37.50.

The final time takes almost two seconds off the previous 7:39.29 world record that Australia set at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK.

“It's just phenomenal. I'm gobsmacked to be honest," said O'Callaghan, who was also part of the winning team in Birmingham. "The experience from last year and having so much depth in Australia has just pushed us even further.”

The effort follows on Australia's earlier triumph in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay where they also set a world record on day one of the swimming events in Japan. O'Callaghan and Jack swam in both relay finals.

"It's one for the history and that's what we're going to continue to do. For me to wrap my head around being part of two world record relays, I don't think it will hit me until I'm home," Jack said. “It's absolutely amazing. These girls are becoming legends of the sport and I hope to be one of those legends of the sport and inspire people to want to be part of swimming in the future."

USA, the defending champions in the 100m and 200m freestyle relays, finished second on both occasions.

While Bella Sims briefly gave her team the lead after swimming the third leg of the 200m race, Titmus proved too fast for USA's final swimmer Alex Shackell who touched the wall almost four seconds behind the double Olympic champion.

China finished third with 7:44.40 on the clock. The top three nations all secured berths for the Paris 2024 Olympics by reaching the podium.

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• World Aquatics Championships 2023: Australia win both 4x100m freestyle relays with the women setting a new world record
• How to qualify for swimming at Paris 2024

Team Australia: From history in the pool to history in the medals table

The victory in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay brought Australia its ninth gold at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships and solified the country's position at the top of the swimming medals table.

China is second with four gold medals while USA is third with three.

Team USA has topped the medals table at every long-course world championships in swimming going back to 2001. Now, confidently in the lead with three days of competition to go, the Australian swimmers are dreaming of leaving a mark beyond their new entries in the world record books.

"We’re so close to potentially making history," Jack said. "The last time Australia won the medal tally was 2001. And (coach Dean Boxall) said to us tonight, 'You girls want to be part of history', and that's exactly what we did tonight. We put our foot forward and we've gotten a gold medal and that counts towards that amazing medal tally and hopefully we can carry it through the rest of the week.”

Her teammate O'Callaghan agreed: “We are on fire. It's just amazing.”