Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay: Australians spring surprise for gold
The Australian team takes gold. (Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
(BEIJING, August 14) -- Australia sprang one of the upsets of the Swimming program at the National Aquatics Center on Thursday when their unheralded Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay team won the gold medal and smashed the world record.
The Australians touched the wall in a time of 7min 44.31sec, slicing 5.78 off the previous best time.
Led by double Individual Medley Gold medalist Stephanie Rice, Australia trailed the French at the first changeover but Bronte Barratt then swam a fast second leg to push the Australians to the front.
Kylie Palmer next delivered a cutting third leg with a split of 1:55.22, driving Australia clear of the chasing Chinese who were left fighting the USA.
By the last change, the Australians cut 4.71 seconds under the world mark. American Katie Hoff and China's Pang Jiaying chased Australia's Linda Mackenzie by swimming 1:54 splits. They were eating into Mackenzie's lead, but failed to catch her.
After holding second place for most of the relay, China finished with the silver in an Asian record time of 7:45.93.
The world record-holding USA foursome, who qualified second at 7:52.43, were rarely in the hunt but, thanks to Hoff's fast last leg, managed to pin Italy back in fourth and take the bronze in an Americas record of 7:46.33.
All of the first four teams beat the old world record of 7:50.09.
Although France had qualified first for the final, with an Olympic record 7:50.37, they finished fifth at 7:50.66.
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