Swimming-Australia win women's 4x100m medley relay gold

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Swimming - Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Final - Tokyo Aquatics Centre - Tokyo, Japan - August 1, 2021. Australia's team reacts REUTERS/Carl Recine

REUTERS

Australia won the gold medal in the women's 4x100m medley relay at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday.

United States won the silver and Canada took the bronze.

Australia’s women have ended their stunning week in the pool at the Tokyo Olympics with a come-from-behind gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay.

Kaylee McKeown, Chelsea Hodges, Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell finished in an Olympic record time of 3:51.60 to win the race from the USA and Canada.

McKeon swam the butterfly leg just moments after winning 50m freestyle gold, while Campbell mowed down American Abby Weitzeil in the freestyle leg to triumph.

“If that was her wave goodbye to the swimming pool, it was a great send-off for Cate Campbell,” Ian Thorpe said on Channel 7.

Campbell’s chase-down marked a successful fightback from finishing seventh in the 50m freestyle final.

“Oh my gosh. I still just can’t believe that we just did that. That is an incredible effort by everyone,” Campbell said.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my 50 freestyle earlier, but I just kind of told myself that you find out what you’re made of in the times when things don’t go your way.

“I took that mindset into this race and I just thought ‘you have to be brave and get back out there’. And I am just absolutely blown away.”

The swimming squad’s 21st medal in Tokyo bettered Australia’s previous benchmark from Beijing 2008, with nine gold also becoming a new record.

On an individual level, the relay victory ensured McKeon had become the first Australian to secure four gold medals at a single Olympics.

The 27-year-old now owns 11 medals of any colour, two clear of Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones for the title of most successful Australian Olympian of all time.

Elsewhere, 100m and 200m backstroke champion Kaylee McKeown secured her third gold in Tokyo and the 19-year-old Hodges took out her first ever Olympic gold.

“Being in a team is so much better. There is so much more hype around it and I’m with girls who are so decorated in the sport,” McKeown said.

Hodges said: “I don’t really have words for it.”

“I was pretty disappointed with how I went on Monday and I knew these girls are amazing,” she added.

“I just knew I needed to pick it up and I think I did that today.”