U.S. ladies set 4×100 medley relay world document at swim worlds

The United States, which had a irritating swimming world championships, ended on a excessive word Sunday with a world document within the ladies’s 4×100 medley within the final occasion of the eight-day championships.

The Americans swam a time of three minutes, 49.34 seconds, breaking their very own previous mark of three:49.63.

Regan Smith, Kate Douglas and Gretchen Walsh swam the primary three legs with Torri Huske taking the anchor.

The United States completed with 9 gold medals and 29 total, forward of Australia with eight gold and 20 total. France and Canada have been subsequent within the gold-medal depend with 4 gold medals.

There have been the 2 clear stars by means of the week. Summer McIntosh gained all 4 medals for Canada, and Leon Marchand of France left the worlds with two particular person gold medals.

The 18-year-old McIntosh closed her championships with a victory within the 400-meter particular person medley (4:25.78), successful by greater than seven seconds. She got here away one gold shy of her quest to win 5 however remains to be solely the second girl to win 4 particular person golds at a world championships.

McIntosh additionally gained gold through the meet within the 200-meter butterfly mark, the 200 IM and the 400 freestyle. Her solely blip was ending third to American Katie Ledecky within the 800 freestyle Saturday.

Marchand gained the 400 IM however did not break his personal world document. Marchand gained in 4:04.73, simply off the world mark he set two years in the past in Fukuoka, Japan (4:02.50). Tomoyuki Matsushita of Japan took silver (4:08.32) with bronze for Ilia Borodin of the Neutral Athletes (4:09.16).

Marchand, earlier within the championships, shattered the 200 IM mark in 1:52.69. The previous mark was 1:54.00 set 14 years in the past by Lochte.

American swimmers have battled a case of “acute gastroenteritis” picked up at a coaching camp in Thailand. The illness clearly affected the crew’s performances, with solely 5 gold medals by means of six days, however the United States gained 4 within the final two days because the swimmers’ well being appeared to enhance.

“This is the best way to end the meet,” Walsh mentioned. “And I feel like we have such a good opportunity when you have this stacked group of women closing it out on a relay like this.

“We’re going to depart Singapore with a smile on our faces.”

American Bobby Finke, the Paris Olympic champion at 1,500 meters, took a bronze in that event Sunday.

“I’m pleased with the USA crew and what we have been capable of accomplish regardless of all of the individuals again at residence saying no matter they wish to say,” Finke said. “But you already know, I’m pleased with these boys. If somebody’s offended, my DMs are open.”

Former American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte were critical of Team USA on social media, and and Rowdy Gaines called for changes at USA Swimming, who has been without a CEO for a year.

“Do no matter you need,” Finke said. “But you already know, I’m pleased with the crew and what we have been capable of do right here. It’s a giant stepping level for the 2028 LA Olympics.”

Sunday’s closing day featured eight finals and victories for seven completely different groups.

Kliment Kolesnikov of the Neutral Athletes gained the lads’s 50 backstroke in 23.68. Kolesnikov holds the world document (23.55). Pieter Coetze of South Africa and Pavel Samusenko of the Neutral Athletes tied for silver (24.17).

Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania, the world document holder, claimed the 50 breaststroke (29.55) with silver for Tang Qianting of China (30.03) and bronze to Benedetta Pilato of Italy (30.14).

Meg Harris of Australia took the ladies’s 50 free (24.02). Harris was additionally the silver medalist in the identical occasion within the Paris Olympics. China claimed the following two locations with Wu Qingfeng (24.26) taking silver and bronze for Cheng Yujie (24.28).

Ahmed Jaouadi of Tunisia, winner of the 800 free, added the 1,500 title on Sunday (14:34.41) with silver for Sven Schwarz of Germany (14:35.69) and bronze for Finke (14:36.60).

The Neutral Athletes gained the lads’s 4×100 medley relay (3:26.93), adopted by France (3:27.96) and the United States (3:28.62). It was the second gold of the night time for the Neutral Athletes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.