The world is admired by the Australian swimming team after an “unreal” performance in the pool that almost no one saw coming.
Australia has broken the world record in the 4x100m freestyle mixed relay, surprising the world in the process.
Missing some of the team’s biggest stars, Kyle Chalmers, Jack Cartwright, Madison Wilson and Mollie O’Callaghan set the Budapest pool on fire to win the event by more than 1.3 seconds ahead of Canada .
Chalmers described it as “unreal” and “crazy.”
It was Chalmers ’comeback that blew up the competition before veteran Wilson and rising superstar O’Callaghan brought the team home.
His time of 3 minutes and 19.38 seconds broke the record set by the United States at the last World Championships in 2019 with 0.02 seconds. Canada came in second, the Americans in third. It is the first time America is defeated in the event.
The event was only added to the world championships for the first time in 2015.
“It’s crazy … I think we’ll always be hard to beat,” Chalmers said.
The Olympic champion seemed to shoot his critics after being criticized for not reaching the semi-finals of the 100m butterfly.
In freestyle, he remains the king.
“I dare someone to say it’s a failure or that I don’t deserve this place,” Chalmers said.
“I do mine for the relay. It’s great to win, great to set a world record, and that’s all I can ask for.”
Even though Chalmers thought his team was always going to win, Wilson was scared.
“It’s pretty unexpected,” Wilson said.
“I don’t think there was any mention or expectation or even an idea of being able to break it. Doing it and seeing it in the end was amazing and a real surprise for us.”
Australia lacked sprint queens Cate Campbell and Emma McKeon, who both skipped the world championships.
Australian Kaylee McKeown also won the women’s 200m backstroke for a first world title that accompanied three Olympic golds.
McKeown chased American Phoebe Bacon on the final lap to win the touchdown by just 0.04 seconds.
“In the end, it all turned out positively,” McKeown said
Meanwhile, Katie Ledecky won a fifth consecutive 800-meter world title on Friday, just over an hour after Sarah Sjostrom secured her fourth consecutive victory in the women’s 50-meter butterfly.
Local hero Kristof Milak caused a delirium at Budapest’s Dune Arena when he won the gold medal in the 100m butterfly, his second of the week.
Ben Proud won the first British gold in the championships while winning the 50m freestyle.
Ledecky led the 800m while taking her World Championship medals to 22, a record for a woman.
He finished in 8 minutes and 8.04 seconds to beat Australian Kiah Melverton by 10.73 seconds and Italian Simona Quadarella by 10.96 seconds.
“Year after year it’s very hard work,” said the 25-year-old American who won her first major title at the 2012 Olympics.
“In London I won my first gold 10 years ago, then they said it was a one-time wonder, and here we are, 10 years later and I have another gold.
“I am also very excited about the future. This was only my seventh best time in the last two years, but after a long week the gold counts.
“Everyone is pushing me and I’m working on my shot and these World Championships were tremendously exciting for me.”
Sjostrom won his race in 24.95 seconds to beat France’s Melanie Henique in 0.36 seconds with China’s Zhang Yufei third in 0.37.
“I had a lot of pressure on myself because of my past successes,” Sjostrom said. Sjostrom has 19 world championship medals, three behind Ledecky and is also chasing Michael Phelps ’record of 10 World Championship butterfly medals set between 2001 and 2011. He has nine.
“Yes, I can do it,” he said.
“I find it unreal that I’ve been at this level for so long. I won my first title in 2009, Michael Phelps was still swimming at the time and I loved him a lot.” Sjostrom fell on ice in Sweden in February 2021 and broke his elbow, but still won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics last July.
“It’s amazing to be here, to be around and keep winning medals. It’s not something I can take for granted.”
Milak, who had already won the 200m butterfly title, delighted the local audience with what he calls “my pool” as he finally won gold in the 100m. Caeleb Dressel, the reigning world and Olympic champion, withdrew from the competition on Wednesday.
“I missed him, as you know, I love good races, although this one was one too,” Milak said.
Milak won in 50.14 seconds, a comfortable 0.80 seconds ahead of Japan’s Naoki Mizunuma, with Canadian Joshua Liendo three hundredths more in third.
“I am very proud to be Hungarian and I am very happy that here in the arena 4,000 people were cheering me on,” Milak said.
“I hope that, in front of televisions and around the world, the 15 million Magyars gave me their support.
“Now I’m so tired I can’t wait to rest.” In another event where Dressel was the reigning champion, Proud exploded from the blocks and held on for the victory in a time of 21.32.
American Michael Andrew was second at 21.41. Frenchman Maxime Grousset finished third.
“Great race, great field, great fans and great work!” Proud said.
—With AFP