The United States women won the 4×100 free relay and broke the meet record in the event on the first night of the 2019 World University Games in Naples, Italy. The American team of Veronica Burchill (55.39), Claire Rasmus (54.63), Catie DeLoof (54.10) and Gabby DeLoof (53.87) won the gold medal easily with a 3:37.99. They lowered the meet record of 3:38.12 from 2015 that the United States set with Abbey Weitzeil, Shannon Vreeland, Maddie Locus and Lia Neal four years ago in Gwangju.
The Americans won by nearly four full seconds over Japan (3:41.74) and home country Italy (3:41.84). Japan was second with Mayuka Yamamoto (56.15), Sachi Mochida (55.60), Kanako Watanabe (55.55) and Runa Imai (54.44) for the silver medal. The Italians gave the home crowd something to cheer about with Paola Biagioli (55.75), Gioelemaria Origlia (55.72), Giulia Verona (55.52) and Aglalia Pezzatto (54.85) winning the bronze medal.
The quickest splits outside of the top four came from Russia’s Elizaveta Klevanovich (55.46), Canada’s Sarah Watson (55.50), Poland’s Paulina Peda (55.82) and Canada’s Ainsley McMurray (56.10).
Russia (3:44.84), Canada (3:44.89), Australia (3:46.63), Poland (3:47.59) and Singapore (3:52.98) also competed in the final.
Results:
- United States, 3:37.99 (Burchill, Rasmus, C. DeLoof, G. DeLoof)
- Japan, 3:41.74 (Yamamoto, Mochida, Watanabe, Imai)
- Italy, 3:41.84 (Biagioli, Origlia, Verona, Pezzatto)
- Russia, 3:44.84 (Baklakova, Nasretdinova, Klevanovich, Buinaia)
- Canada, 3:44.89 (Huddle, Watson, McMurray, Goss)
- Australia, 3:46.63 (Hawkins, Rogers, Messer, Stuart)
- Poland, 3:47.59 (Georges, Peda, Naskret, Sztandera)
- Singapore, 3:52.98 (Chan, Ong, Yeo, Liew)
