Face of Nation : Australia has set a world record in winning gold in the women’s 4×200 metres freestyle final at the world swimming championships in Gwangju, South Korea.
And another Australian, Matthew Wilson, equalled the men’s 200m breaststroke world record in the semi-finals, while compatriot Kyle Chalmers claimed the silver medal in the 100m freestyle final. The women won in 7 minutes, 41.50 seconds at the world championships.
Ariarne Titmus, Madison Wilson, Brianna Throssell and Emma McKeon took down China’s old mark set at the 2009 world championships in Rome during the height of the controversial rubber suit era.
“I wasn’t thinking about a world record, that was the key.” Titmus, who beat American great Katie Ledecky to gold in the 400 freestyle on Sunday, said she knew she would have to pull her weight if they were to have a shot at the record.
“I really wanted to do my job for the girls, if we really wanted to have a crack at the world record I would have to play my part,” she added. It was Australia’s fourth gold medal of the meet and added to the hauls of Titmus and McKeon.
Titmus had already won gold in the women’s 400m freestyle and silver in the 200m freestyle. It was McKeon’s third relay gold in Gwangju, as she was also a member of the winning 4x100m freestyle and mixed medley relay squads.
Wilson had earlier clocked 2:06.67 to win his men’s 200m breaststroke semi-final, equalling the 2017 world mark set by Japan’s Ippei Watanabe. He was backing up from featuring in Australia’s 4x100m mixed medley gold medal win alongside McKeon on Wednesday night.
“I was just trying to get my hand on the wall and get in the final,” Wilson said. The 20-year-old was also competing just after his beloved Cronulla Sharks posted a 16-14 win over North Queensland in the NRL.
“I’ll just go back and I’ll probably watch the footy [replay] when I get back. The Sharks are playing, that’s my team,” Wilson said. “They weren’t going very well last time I checked but I’ll do that and it’ll take my mind off the swimming.” Wilson’s Australian teammate Zac Stubblety-Cook qualified fourth fastest for Friday night’s final.
