2024 Paris Olympics: Meg Harris Anchors Australia to Gold – Day 1 Women’s Relay Analysis

2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
  • Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
• La Défense Arena — Paris, France
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Full Swimming Schedule
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• How To Watch
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• Live Results
• Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1
• Finals Live Recaps: Day 1

Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay Lineups 

WOMEN’S 4×100-Meter FREESTYLE RELAY – Final

• World Record: 3:27.96 – Australia (M. O’Callaghan, S. Jack, M. Harris, E. McKeon), 2023 
• World Junior Record: 3:36.19 – Canada (T. Ruck, P. Oleksiak, R. Smith, K. Sanchez), 2017
• Olympic Record: 3:29.69 – Australia (B. Campbell, C. Campbell, M. Harris, E. McKeon), 2021
• 2021 Winning Time: 3:29.69 – Australia (B. Campbell, C. Campbell, M. Harris, E. McKeon)
• 2021 Bronze Medal Winning Time: 3:32.81

Final: 

1. GOLD: Australia (O’Callaghan, Jack, McKeon, Harris), 3:28.92 OR
2. SILVER: USA (Douglass, G. Walsh, Huske, Manuel), 3:30.20
3. BRONZE: China (Yang, Cheng, Zhang, Wu), 3:30.30
4. Canada, 3:32.99
5. Sweden, 3:33.79
6. France, 3:34.99
7. Great Britain, 3:35.25
8. Italy, 3:36.51

Contrary to what others might have said, the Australians were never in doubt of being caught in this relay unless something drastic were to happen. While their winning time was well off their own World Record from last year, SwimSwam didn’t predict (in the preview) that they would actually break the WR.

 If I were a betting man, I’d say the Aussies are going to win but fall short of breaking the World Record. After them, I think it’s silver for the Americans and bronze for China, a repeat of the 2023 podium.

Not to toot my own horn, but we also predicted 7 of the 8 finalists and had the top 5 in the correct order. As a group, the event was slower this morning than in 2021; it took 3:35.93 to advance, whereas this morning, it was 3:36.28. However, the bronze medal time this go around was over 1.5 seconds faster.

As we examine the results a little more closely, we can see how Australia managed to win and what kept them from breaking the world record.

Leadoff Legs (Flat Start)

1. Mollie O’Callaghan, AUS – 52.24 (1)
2. Yang Junxuan, CHN – 52.48 (2)
3. Sarah Sjostrom, SWE – 52.53 (3)
4. Kate Douglass, USA – 52.98 (4)
5. Maggie MacNeil, CAN/ Anna Hopkin, GBR – 53.31 (5)
7. Beryl Gastaldello, FRA – 53.83 (7)
8. Sofia Morini, ITA – 54.16 (8)

Mollie O’Callaghan did what was needed of her, giving Australia the lead, but much of the SwimSwam Group Chat reacted by stating it was slow. While the time bumps her up from 3rd to 2nd in the World rankings, her 52.24 only improved by .03 on her season best, and with China’s Yang Junxuan once again lowering the Chinese record to 52.48, the lead wasn’t as big as one could have expected.

Kate Douglass led the USA off in 52.98 after anchoring this morning, and her time was a little off her results from the Trials. Beryl Gastaldello, who was 53.54 this morning but 53.83 tonight, was also off.

2nd Legs (Flying Start)

1. Shayna Jack, AUS – 52.35 (1)
2. Gretchen Walsh, USA –  52.55 (4)
3. Cheng Yujie, CHN – 52.76 (2)
4. Michelle Coleman, SWE – 52.98 (3)
5. Taylor Ruck, CAN – 53.20 (5)
6. Eva Okaro, GBR – 53.75 (6)
7. Charlotte Bonnet, FRA – 54.14 (7)
8. Chiara Tarantino, ITA – 54.27 (8)

The second leg saw Shayna Jack enter the water for the first time, but after wowing last year with multiple sub-52 splits, her 52.35 flying start was rather pedestrian but as it was the fastest split of all the second legs, and therefore built the Australians lead even more. Gretchen Walsh was on the back half of a double with the 100-fly semis earlier in the session but pulled off an impressive 52.55 split to rank second amongst the second legs. After splitting 53.55 this morning anchoring France, National record holder Charlotte Bonnet struggled, splitting just 54.14.

3rd Legs (Flying Start)

1. Torri Huske, USA – 52.06 (2)
2. Emma McKeon, AUS – 52.39 (1)
3. Zhang Yufei, CHN – 52.75 (3)
4. Summer McIntosh, CAN – 53.22 (4)
5. Mary-Ambre Moluh, FRA – 53.37 (6)
6. Sara Curtis, ITA – 54.24 (8)
7. Sara Junevik, SWE – 54.41 (5)
8. Lucy Hope, GBR – 54.95 (7)

If Walsh’s time was fast then, Torri Huske‘s, who also had the double, was incredible. Huske split 52.06. Taking it out in 24.47, the American came home in 27.59 to vault the Americans past both the Swedes and Chinese teams and put her team in 2nd place, just .61 behind the Australians. The Aussies didn’t give too much of their lead as Emma McKeon had the second fastest split of the 3rd legs, but after an impressive 51.94 this morning her 52.39 seemed rather lackluster, but this was her 4th 100 of the day. Summer McIntosh swam a strong 53.22 to pull the Canadians into 4th place after she had won the silver medal in the 400 free, not too much earlier in the session.

4th Legs (Flying Start)

1. Meg Harris, AUS – 51.94 (1)
2. Wu Qingfeng, CHN – 52.31 (3)
3. Simone Manuel, USA – 52.61 (2)
4. Freya Anderson, GBR – 53.24 (7)
5. Penny Oleksiak, CAN – 53.26 (4)
6. Marie Wattel, FRA – 53.65 (6)
7. Emma Virginia Menicucci, ITA – 53.84 (8)
8. Louise Hansson, SWE – 53.87 (5)

While the Americans and Chinese were not fast behind at the 300, Australia’s Meg Harris put any doubts aside as she scorched the only sub-52 split of the field, clocking in at 51.94, to help the Australians break their own Olympic record set back in 2021. China’s Wu Qingfeng was out as if she was shot out of a cannon, splitting 24.22 on the first 50, and had the Chinese ahead of Simone Manuel and the Americans with just a 50 to go. However, Manuel, who was 24.92 on the first 50, made a concerted effort on the backhalf to chase her down, splitting 27.63 compared to Wu’s 28.09, and gave Team USA not only the silver medal but also the American record.

Notes

• Harris’s split of 51.94 ties her as the 34th fastest ever.  The top 10, in fact, the top 13, are all owned by fellow Australians. Cate Campbell remains the only female to ever split sub 51.00. While the front three legs were underwhelming for the Australians, any one of them would have been beneficial for each and every other team.
• Great Britain’s struggles in the sprint events continue. The relay added close to a second and a half from their time in Fukuoka. While Freya Anderson‘s 53.24 is a step in the right direction after she missed much of her training due to illness, but still a far cry from her 52.51 from last summer. Lucy Hope was just 54.95 today, while in Fukuoka, she was 53.53.
• The USA was not the only team to set a national record in the finals; both China and Sweden bettered their national records.
• We’ll have to see how the individual 100 free pans out, but the medley relays, both the mixed and women’s, may see some changes. Huske’s 52.06, is much faster than anything Douglass swam this morning or this evening, but Douglass has split sub-52 before. It’ll also depend on how the finals of the 100 fly go tomorrow to see which of Huske and Walsh are faster.

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