The Australian team led by Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus won the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay gold in the second fastest time ever on Thursday.
Led by O’Callaghan and brought home by Titmus, with Lani Pallister and Brianna Throssell in the middle legs, they touched in an Olympic record 7min 38.08sec.
The United States, led by Katie Ledecky (7:40.86), took silver and defending champion China (7:42.34) took bronze.
It avenged Australia’s failure to win gold in Tokyo as China set a new world record that stunned them and the Americans.
Australia won the world record for the 2023 World Cup and were heavy favorites in Paris.
Their time at La Defense Arena was second only to their own world best. They got off to a fast start from O’Callaghan, who clocked 1:53.52 to take the lead, but it was Titmus who sealed the deal, coming home in a sizzling 1:52.95 to leave the USA and China behind.
