Tokyo Olympics: Great Britain win emphatic gold in 4x200m freestyle relay
- Published
Tokyo Olympics: Tom Dean & Duncan Scott lead Team GB to 4x200m freestyle relay gold
Tokyo Olympic Games on the BBC |
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Dates: 23 July-8 August Time in Tokyo: BST +8 |
Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button and online; Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sports Extra and Sounds; live text and video clips on BBC Sport website and app. |
Great Britain's men secured another gold in the Olympic pool with a dominant victory in the 4x200m freestyle relay in Tokyo.
The quartet of 200m champion Tom Dean, silver medallist Duncan Scott, James Guy and Matthew Richards came within 0.03secs of the world record in a stunning performance.
The British quartet won in six minutes 58.58 seconds - an emphatic 3.23secs clear of the Russian Olympic Committee.
Australia claimed the bronze medal.
Great Britain were favourites going into the race having qualified fastest and they produced what former Olympian Mark Foster described as a "demonstration of a performance".
The victory means Dean becomes the first British male swimmer to win two golds at the same Olympic Games since 1908.
It is also the first time in 113 years that Great Britain have won three swimming gold medals at an Olympics.
Guy, who put Britain into pole position with his strong second leg, shed tears as Scott brought the team home.
James Guy (left, with Tom Dean) showed his emotion as Great Britain's victory was confirmed
He won silver in the event in Rio four years ago and was overwhelmed after finally securing his first Olympic gold.
"Hurting me most was getting fourth in Rio - being a young lad I was dreaming of Olympic gold, that's all I've ever wanted," Guy said.
"All the early mornings, all the years of getting up at 10 past four, we are here and it is finally nice to do it.
"Tom, my training partner, getting gold yesterday, I felt like I was swimming with him, that's why I was so emotional."
The United States pushed Britain in the opening leg, where they were led by Dean, but Guy closed the gap before Richards took a second out of the US lead.
That gave Scott a healthy head start and he took full advantage, finishing just short of a new world best.
Richards, who at 18 years old is the youngest and most inexperienced of the quartet, said this race was "just the very beginning".
"It's an honour to have this medal hanging round my neck," he added.
"Forever now, this will be something that I can say I was part of and it will be something I can tell my kids and hopefully my grandkids about one day."
Foster, who was pacing the BBC studio as he watched the race, said: "I so wanted them to get the world record - but they will get it, because it is a young team. What a mature performance."
Earlier, Britain's Abbie Wood missed out on women's 200m individual bronze by 11 hundredths of a second.
"It's bittersweet. I'm happy with the time and know I couldn't have done much more," she said.
"Maybe in the race, I got a bit excited and in the last five metres forgot about putting my hand on the wall."
Hopkin breaks British record
Anna Hopkin broke a near 12-year record as her time eclipsed Fran Halsall's effort of 52.87 in 2009.
Anna Hopkin set a new British record in the heats of the women's 100m freestyle competition as her time of 52.75 seconds took her into the semi-finals as the third fastest qualifier.
Hopkin, 25, finished third in her heat, behind Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong and Australia's Emma McKeon, who set a new Olympic record of 52.13.
Sixteen swimmers advanced into the next phase, with Britain's Freya Anderson, 20, the 14th fastest.
Luke Greenback, 23, was the fastest qualifier in the men's 200m backstroke heats and Brodie Williams also advanced in 12th place.
Two British swimmers moved into the women's 200m breaststroke semi-finals - 25-year-old Molly Renshaw in sixth and 22-year-old Abbie Wood in 15th.
Duncan Scott, 24, stayed on course for his third medal of the games as he was equal fifth fastest in the heats of the men's 200m individual medley.
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