{"id":383798,"date":"2019-07-26T09:38:05","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T16:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=383798"},"modified":"2019-09-26T14:59:53","modified_gmt":"2019-09-26T21:59:53","slug":"australia-continues-relay-roll-as-mack-horton-powers-dolphins-to-gold-in-4x200-free-relay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/australia-continues-relay-roll-as-mack-horton-powers-dolphins-to-gold-in-4x200-free-relay\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia Continues Relay Roll as Mack Horton Powers Dolphins to Gold in 4×200 Free Relay"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Swimming Championships\u00a0<\/strong>(Australia)<\/em><\/p>\n

Gwangju, Day 6 finals<\/em><\/p>\n

Men’s 4×200 freeestyle relay<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

There was a time, when a guy named Ian Thorpe<\/strong> was the sport’s headliner, that Australia owned the 4×200 freestyle relay on the world stage. During that era of the late 1990s and early 2000s, gold medals in the event were the norm. On Friday night at the World Championships<\/a>, the Dolphins rekindled memories of those glory days and returned to the top of the podium, a splendid team effort securing the gold medal.<\/p>\n

Emerging from a thrilling five-team battle, Australia received an anchor split of 1:44.85 from Mack Horton<\/strong> to take top honors in 7:00.85, good for an Oceania record and enough to turn back Russia (7:01.81) and the United States (7:01.98). Fourth place went to Italy in 7:02.01, Great Britain a tick behind in fifth in 7:02.04. Horton was joined on the winning squad by Clyde Lewis<\/strong> (1:45.58), Kyle<\/strong> Chalmers<\/strong> (1:45.37) and Alexander Graham<\/strong> (1:45.07), the victory marking the fourth gold of the week for the Australians in relays alone.<\/p>\n

\"Team

Photo Courtesy: PATRICK B. KRAEMER<\/p><\/div>\n

Better known for his ability in the longer freestyle races, Horton headed into the anchor leg with the lead, and faced with the task of repelling charges from the likes of Russia’s Martin Mayutin<\/strong>, Townley Haas<\/strong> of the United States and Great Britain’s James Guy<\/strong>. Not only did Horton hold off his foes, he delivered the fastest split of the event and gave Australia its first global title since it won three straight world championships from 1998-2003, years that sandwiched a 2000 Olympic crown.<\/p>\n