Wednesday 28 July 2021

Chinese Women Pull Off 4×200 Freestyle Victory To Steal WR From Aussies | SwimSwam

By Ben Dornan on SwimSwam

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

In an absolute whirlwind of a race, the Chinese women delivered a new world record in the women’s 4×200 freestyle to take gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games. China took gold in a 7:40.33 and was joined on the podium by the Americans in a 7:40.73 and the Australians with a 7:41.29.

Splits Comparison

Australia – Tokyo 2020 Australia – Gwangju 2019
1 Yang Junxuan (1:54.37) Ariarne Titmus (1:54.27)
2 Tang Muhan (1:55.00) Madi Wilson (1:56.73)
3 Zhang Yufei (1:55.66) Brianna Throssell (1:55.60)
4 Li Bingjie (1:55.30) Emma McKeon (1:54.90)
7:40.33 7:41.50

Australia’s former world record in the event stood at a 7:41.50 which they posted at the 2019 World Championships to take out the 10-year-old mark set by the Chinese in 2009 of 7:42.08. Now that China has taken back the world record and has re-claimed the top spot in the event. Not only did the Chinese team crack the former Australian mark but both the silver medal-winning Americans and bronze medal-winning Americans got under the time as well.

The top 3 times from Tokyo 2020 now make up the top 3 times in history while Canada’s 7:43.77 for 4th place is the all-time 11th best swim.

Country Event Time
1 China 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games 7:40.33
2 USA 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games 7:40.73
3 Australia 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games 7:41.29
4 Australia 2019 World Championships 7:41.50
5 USA 2019 World Championships 7:41.87
6 China 2009 World Championships 7:42.08
7 USA 2009 World Championships 7:42.56
8 USA 2012 Olympic Games 7:42.92
9 USA 2016 Olympic Games 7:43.03
10 USA 2017 World Championships 7:43.39
11 Canada 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games 7:43.77
12 Australia 2018 Pan Pacific Championships 7:44.12

Considering that all 3 of the podium finishers were under the previous world record, a number of national and continental records were broken as well. China’s swim was an Asian record and Chinese record, improving upon their 7:42.08 from 2009. The United States lowered the Americas record, the North American record, and the American record of 7:41.87 from 2019, and the Australian’s broke the Commonwealth, Oceanian, and Australian record of 7:41.29.

The Chinese team got an early lead in the heat as Yang Junxuan opened with a 56.02 for China which was just ahead of Ariarne Titmus‘ 56.18 for Australia. Titmus was actually 3rd place at that point, however, as Canada’s Summer McIntosh notched a 56.10 to start. At that point, the USA sat in 4th with a 56.70 from Allison Schmitt.

By the end of the first 200 meters, McIntosh had held off Schmitt to get the Canadas into 3rd place while China’s Junxuan retained her lead with a 1:54.37 200. Titmus followed with a 1:54.51 for the 2nd position.

China and Australia passed the lead back and forth over the 2nd and 3rd legs from Tang Muhan and Zhang Yufei and Emma McKeon and Madi Wilson, respectively. That was until US anchor Katie Ledecky dove into the pool and started gunning it home. Ledecky managed to chase down Aussie anchor Leah Neale, out-splitting Neale’s 1:55.85 with a blistering 1:53.76. Ledecky nearly managed to chase down China’s Li Bingjie for the gold medal but fell just 0.40 seconds short.

One of the most impressive performances in the 4×200 freestyle field came from Zhang Yufei who split a solid 1:55.66 to contribute to China’s gold medal win. What makes Yufei’s relay leg so impressive is that she did so in the same session that she won gold in Olympic-record fashion in the women’s 200 butterfly. Yufei threw down a 2:03.86 to deliver the fastest time in the event in 12 years since Liu Zige’s 2:01.81 world record in 2009.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Chinese Women Pull Off 4×200 Freestyle Victory To Steal WR From Aussies

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