Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus have continued their ascension to Olympic legend by helping two unheralded teammates collect precious gold in Paris.
O’Callaghan, Titmus, Lani Pallister and Brianna Throssell formed Australia’s triumphant women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team which captured the nation’s eighth gold medal of the Paris Games.
The quartet were never headed in a resounding victory on Thursday night which delivers O’Callaghan a fifth Olympic career gold – Emma McKeon (six) is the only Australian with more.
O’Callaghan now has three golds in Paris and her relay victory helped erase the blow of missing the medals in the 100m freestyle just 24 hours earlier.
“Coming off disappointment last night, it was amazing to be able to swim alongside these girls,” O’Callaghan said.
Titmus, now a four-time gold medallist and double-winner in the French capital, swam the last lap as her teammates screamed in delight.
“I’m proud that they had faith in me to put me last and get the job done,” she said.
“It’s very, very special up there on the podium with the girls.”
Pallister’s first Olympic gold at her debut Games came after fearing she’d miss the relay when contracting COVID-19.
The 22-year-old Olympic debutant, who has undergone surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat and also beaten an eating disorder, was forced to withdraw from the 1500m freestyle two days ago.
“I bawled my eyes out. When I got COVID, I honestly thought I’d be out of that relay completely,” she said.
“I didn’t know if I would even have the opportunity to swim in the heat, let alone stand on the podium with the girls.”
Stalwart Throssell, who made her first Australian swim team a dozen years ago, is a dual Olympic gold medallist, but feels like a first-time winner.
Throssell’s previous gold was for a heat swim in Australia’s triumphant women’s 4x100m medley team at the Tokyo Games.
“Standing on the podium just makes it that extra special being in the final team,” she said.
The quartet saluted in seven minutes 38.08 seconds, an Olympic record, to win by 2.78 seconds from the United States.
Australia’s swim team has won five of the nation’s eight golds in Paris.
The 4x200m team join the women’s 4x100m freestyle relayers, Titmus (women’s 400m freestyle), O’Callaghan (women’s 200m freestyle) and Kaylee McKeown (women’s 100m backstroke) as swimming gold medallists at these Olympics.
Earlier on Thursday night, McKeown’s quest for Olympic history remained on track after another strong backstroke showing.
McKeown, bidding to become the first woman to win consecutive 100m-200m backstroke titles at the Olympics, was second-quickest through the 200m semi-finals.
She successfully defended her title over the shorter distance on Tuesday night.
And veteran Cam McEvoy, the first Australian man to swim at four Olympics, confirmed his status as gold-medal favourite for the men’s 50m freestyle.
The 30-year-old was equal-fastest through the semi-finals in 21.38 seconds, the same time as Great Britain’s Ben Proud.
McEvoy, who took a break from swimming two years ago, is aiming to atone for his disappointment at the 2016 Rio Games when he entered the 100m freestyle as favourite but finished seventh.
“Where I am now as a person and an athlete, very different (to Rio),” the 30-year-old said.
“Two years ago, I wouldn’t have said I’d be here, let alone in the position I’m in now.”
Australia’s Olympic debutant Liz Dekkers finished fourth in the women’s 200m butterfly final, with compatriot Abbey Lee Connor seventh as Canada’s Summer McIntosh won.
Dolphins duo William Petric and Thomas Neill failed to advance from the men’s 200m individual medley semi-finals.
In finals not featuring Australians, Hungary’s Hubert Kos (men’s 200m backstroke) and American Kate Douglass (women’s 200m breaststroke) won gold.
