Aussie women claim bronze in relay boilover
Australia has claimed the bronze medal in the women’s 4×200-metres freestyle relay at the Tokyo Olympics.
Madison Wilson, Emma McKeon and Ariarne Titmus embrace Leah Neale of Australia (right) after she swam the final leg in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay final. (AAP Image/Joe Giddens)
The team of Ariarne Titmus, Emma McKeon, Madi Wilson and Leah Neale finished third, with China winning in a world-record time and in what was seen as a shock result.
The Chinese triumphed in seven minutes 40.33 seconds – the previous world record was 7:41.50 set by Australia at the 2019 world championships.
The United States (7:40.73) took the silver medal ahead of Australian (7:41.29).
Titmus and McKeon collect their third medals of the Games – Titmus with golds in the 200m and 400m freestyles and McKeon gold in the 4x100m freestyle and bronze in the 100m butterfly.
About 95 minutes before the relay, McKeon qualified fastest for the individual 100m final and is also a chance for more gold in the medley and mixed relays to come.
Wilson wins her third Olympic career medal – she won gold as a heat swimmer in Australia’s triumphant 4x100m freestyle team at the 2016 Rio Games, when she also took silver for swimming a heat in the 4x100m medley.
The 25-year-old Neale also won a silver in Rio, as part of the 4x200m freestyle relay team.
In Thursday’s final, Australia flipped its entire team from the heat line-up with those swimmers – Mollie O’Callaghan, Meg Harris, Brianna Throssell and Tamsin Cook – all to receive medals in Tokyo.
