Tokyo 2020, Oceania Day 1: Aussies Begin With 3 Medals And A World Record | SwimSwam

By Ben Dornan on SwimSwam

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
  • Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
• Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
• Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
• Full aquatics schedule
• SwimSwam Event Previews
• Entry Lists
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• Day 1 Finals Heat Sheet

Oceania got off to a strong start on day 1 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The highlight of the session was easily the women’s 4×100 freestyle final in which the Australians delivered a new world record of 3:29.69 to claim the nation’s first gold medal of the meet. Cate Campbell, Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon, and Meg Harris threw together the winning swim which you can read more about here.

Also among those from the continent to pull off solid swims during day 1 finals was Brendon Smith who notched a 4:10.38 for the bronze medal in the men’s 400 IM final. Smith finished just behind silver medalist Jay Litherland‘s 4:10.28 and was just under a second off Chase Kalisz‘s 4:09.42 for gold.

Fellow Oceanian swimmer Lewis Clareburt made an appearance in the final, hitting a 4:11.22 for 7th overall in the event. Both Smith and Clareburt were a little bit quicker during the 400 IM prelims, having hit a 4:09.27 Australian and Oceanian record and a 4:09.49 New Zealand national record, respectively.

Following Clareburt’s bronze in the 400 IM, Jack McLoughlin managed to collect silver in the men’s 400 freestyle with a 3:43.52 to Tunisia’s Ahmed Hanaoui who was a 3:43.36. Fellow Australian Elijah Winnington also had a top 8 finish here with a 3:45.20 for 7th.

In the women’s 100 butterfly semi-finals, Emma McKeon was a little slower than her prelim swim of 55.82. McKeon hit a 56.33 in round 2 of the event, trailing her Australian, Oceanian, and Commonwealth record from the prior session. McKeon has one more shot at the event in the final which will take place during day 3 finals.

4×100 freestyle gold, 400 freestyle silver, and 400 IM bronze constituted the only medals for Australia on day 1 of the Games as the country didn’t send anyone to the Games in the event.

Continental And National Records Through Day 1

• Lewis Clareburt set a new Oceania and New Zealand record of 4:09.49 during heat 3 of the men’s 400 IM prelims.
• Right after Clareburt’s swim Australian, Brendon Smith took the Oceanic record from Clareburt with a 4:09.27 in heat 4. That left Clareburt with the New Zealand record and gave Smith the Australian and Oceanic marks.
• Emma McKeon swam her way to a 55.82 Australian, Oceanic, and Commonwealth record during the prelims of the event.
• During the final race of the night, the Australian women become the first-ever nation to get under 3:30 in the 4×100 free with their world record-breaking 3:29.69.

Medals Table for Asia Through Day 1

NATION	TOTAL MEDALS	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE
Australia	3	1	1	1

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Tokyo 2020, Oceania Day 1: Aussies Begin With 3 Medals And A World Record