At the recent World Championships, neither of Australia’s 4x100m freestyle relay teams was favoured to clinch gold, yet both proved the naysayers wrong. The Australian women’s team, comprising Mollie O’Callaghan, Meg Harris, Milla Jansen, and Olivia Wunsch, claimed victory with an impressive time of 3:30.60, surpassing the USA, who finished second at 3:31.04.
This triumph comes in a challenging context, as the team was without several star swimmers. Notable absences included Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell, who retired after their Paris 2024 campaigns, and Madi Wilson, who stepped away post-motherhood. Bronte Campbell is on a break following the Olympics, and Shayna Jack did not qualify because of her appearance on a reality TV show. Despite these losses, the young quartet ensured Australia’s legacy in pool success continued.
Jansen (18) and Wunsch (19) were both debutants at the senior long-course championships, making their achievement even more remarkable. Against an experienced US team featuring Olympians, the Australian women showcased their strength and skill.
On the men’s side, Australia’s team of Flynn Southam, Kai Taylor, Max Giuliani, and Kyle Chalmers set a new world championship record with their gold-winning time of 3:08.97. This victory saw them outpace a strong Italian team that secured silver at 3:09.58, while the US team finished closely behind in bronze at 3:09.64. The US athletes faced pre-competition food poisoning, which may have impacted their performance.
Australian swimming icon Giaan Rooney encapsulated the excitement of the evening, remarking, “What a night for Australia in the relays.” The achievements of both relay teams underline Australia’s enduring dominance in competitive swimming, paving the way for future potential champions as they look ahead to the Paris Olympics.