Team USA Swims to Gold in Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay at Paris 2024 Olympics
In a thrilling display of speed and teamwork, Team USA clinched the gold medal in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay at the Paris 2024 Olympics on July 27th. The American quartet of Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, and Caeleb Dressel delivered a dominant performance, finishing with a time of 3:09.28.
Jack Alexy set the pace with a confident first leg, placing Team USA in second behind China’s Pan Zhanle. Chris Guiliano quickly took over, propelling the Americans into first place by the 150m mark. Hunter Armstrong then extended the lead with a blistering third leg, clocking 46.75 seconds. Finally, the anchor leg was in the capable hands of Caeleb Dressel, a seven-time Olympic champion, who secured the victory with a powerful finish.
Dressel, now an eight-time Olympic champion, expressed his joy, stating, “You can’t explain this moment until you’re on the podium watching the flag go up. It was really emotional for me seeing that. I remember how it was for me, my first gold. I lost it.”
The silver medal went to the Australian team, who finished with a time of 3:10.35. Despite a slow start, Jack Cartwright and Flynn Southam, along with a solid third leg from Kai Taylor, set the stage for a remarkable final leg by Kyle Chalmers. Chalmers clocked an impressive 46.59 seconds, propelling Australia into second place.
Italy claimed the bronze medal with a time of 3:10.70. The Italian team, consisting of Alessandro Miressi, Thomas Ceccon, Paolo Conte Bonin, and Manuel Frigo, delivered a consistent performance, overtaking a fading Chinese quartet to secure their spot on the podium.
This victory marks the 11th time Team USA has won the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay at the Olympic Games. Hunter Armstrong, who swam the fastest leg for the team, shared his excitement: “I definitely didn’t expect it. I just went in. I would give my entire body and soul up for these boys. I knew I had to give Caeleb everything I had, and so I was glad I was able to get my job done.”
The women’s team also performed admirably, earning a silver medal in the same event. The Australian women’s team set an Olympic record with a time of 3:28.92, while the American quartet of Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, and Simone Manuel finished with a time of 3:30.20, just edging out China’s team by a tenth of a second.
This historic win for Team USA in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay highlights the start of an exciting and competitive swimming competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
