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Watch Underwater Video of The American Women’s 400 Medley Relay World Record

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Watch final race of the 2019 FINA World Championships from underwater. Regan Smith leads off in a new World Record of 57.57 in the 100 back, followed by Lilly King on breast, Kelsi Dahlia on fly, and Simone Manuel, who anchored with a 51.86 in the freestyle.

Reported by Lauren Neidigh.

WOMEN’S 4 X 100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINAL

  • World Record: 3:51.55, USA (Baker, King, Dahlia, Manuel), 2017
  • World Championship Record: 3:51.55, USA (Baker, King, Dahlia, Manuel), 2017
  • World Junior Record: 3:58.38, Canada (Hannah, Knelson, Oleksiak, Ruck), 2017
  • Defending 2017 World Champion: USA (Baker, King, Dahlia, Manuel), 3:51.55

Medalists:

  1. GOLD- USA, 3:50.40
  2. SILVER- Australia, 3:53.42
  3. BRONZE- Canada, 3:53.58

The final race of the 2019 FINA World Championships started off with a bang, as there were 2 World Records set in this single event. The USA’s Regan Smith got the ball rolling with a World Record in the 100 back, racing to a 57.57 to give the USA a big lead. That makes Smith the first woman in history to break 58 seconds, erasing teammate Kathleen Baker‘s former World Record of 58.00 from 2018.

Smith, who set a new World Record in the 200 back and won gold in that event, didn’t even get the chance to swim the 100 back individually here, but she was the fastest 100 backstroker here by far.

Splits:

  • USA- Smith 57.57*, King 1:04.81, Dahlia 56.16, Manuel 51.86
  • AUS- Atherton 59.06, Hansen 1:06.08, McKeon 56.32, Campbell 51.96
  • CAN- Masse 59.12, Pickrem 1:06.42, MacNeil 55.56, Oleksiak 52.48

The Americans led the race through to the finish. Lilly King, the 100 breast champion, had the fastest breast split of the field in 1:04.81. Kelsi Dahlia held their lead with a 56.16 fly split. To close, 100 free champion Simone Manuel anchored in 51.86, sealing a new World Record for the USA in 3:50.40. That blew away the old World Record from 2017 Worlds by over a second.

There was a tight race for silver between Australia (3:53.42) and Canada (3:53.58). They were very close through the first half, but Maggie MacNeil, the 100 fly champion, pulled ahead for Canada with a 55.56 on the fly. Australia roared back, however, with Cate Campbell‘s 51.96 on the anchor leg to out-touch Canada for silver. Canada set a new Canadian Record to take the bronze.

Italy was 4th in 3:56.50. Federica Pellegrini, who won the 200 free here, anchored them in 52.48 as the team set a new Italian Record.

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JVW
5 years ago

What a beautiful and efficient stroke Regan Smith has.

Kristiina
5 years ago

I want NBC behavoir just like priced channel FINA TV all around world.

Heyitsme
5 years ago

Amazing. Didn’t see flaws in any of their strokes, but Dahlia shouldn’t go so deep on the turns I think that’s what got her individual fly those last 10 meters.

cbswims
Reply to  Heyitsme
5 years ago

Amused that you can look at a world record performance and say ‘they shouldn’t’. Maybe we should seek to understand why ‘that’ works for them and their style.

Heyitsme
Reply to  cbswims
5 years ago

It’s just a little tip. It would help her from going up and down the last 10 meters. She really could’ve won that

TigerAT
5 years ago

As technology continues to improve we will grow to have a better understanding of what truly makes someone elite in our sport. As a coach with limited access to an Underwater Camera, I’m absolutely loving the UW footage being released for every race.

Philip Johnson
5 years ago

It was all over after Smith.

Teacher and Coach
5 years ago

I’m interested in the small layer of bubbles clinging to the chest and abdomen of some swimmers (noticed it with Lilly King especially.) I wonder if some suits do a better job of that, and whether it lends to buoyancy.

COVFEFE
5 years ago

Just re-watched the above-water recap… I know all eyes were on the WR, but anyone else notice Cate getting almost half a body length on Penny, then Penny almost making getting ahead again in the last 10 meters? Highlights the drastic difference in race styles for the 100 Free (front end vs. back end).

Kristiina
5 years ago

NBC geoblock is terrible.

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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