FINA World Cup, Tokyo: Junior National Teams Combine to Likely Down Mixed 200 Medley Relay American Record

TOKYO, Japan, November 9. IT is still a pretty soft record that will feature quite a few progressions, but the U.S. Junior National Team likely took down an American record this morning at the FINA World Cup stop in Tokyo.

The foursome of Kaitlin Harty (28.22), Gunnar Bentz (28.52), Katie McLaughlin (26.95) and Paul Powers (21.94) raced its way to a 15th-place time of 1:45.63 in the mixed 200 medley relay. That’s faster than the initial world record (1:49.87) set by Indiana’s James Wells, Cody Miller, Gia Dalesandro and Olivia Barker during the special IU relay extravaganza that took place on Sept. 26.

IU’s swim initially was recognized by FINA as the world record as the first legally swum time since FINA began officially recognizing eight new relays as world-record worthy. Iowa’s Dustin Rhoads, Andrew Marciniak, Haley Gordon and Olivia Kabacinski later posted a 1:46.61 in the event at the Michigan Fall Carnival a few days later, and could be considered to have been American record holders coming into today.

USA Swimming has not yet made a stance on what times it will consider American records in these events. But, the Junior National Team at least has the right to call itself the fastest American foursome in the mixed 200 medley relay since it officially became an event in September.

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