2025 World Championships: Day 1 Relay Analysis – King Kyle Strikes Again For Australia

• 2025 World Championships

  • July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
  • Singapore, Singapore
  • World Aquatics Championships Arena
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    • Prelims: Day 1
    • Finals:

Men’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay – Final

• World Record: 3:08.24 – United States (M. Phelps, G. Weber-Gale, C. Jones, J. Lezak) (2008)
• World Junior Record: 3:15.49 — United States (D. Diehl, M. Williamson, H. Williams, J. Zhao) (2023)
• World Championship Record: 3:09.06 — United States (C. Dressel, B. Pieroni, Z. Apple, N. Adrian) (2019)
• 2023 World Champion: Australia- 3:10.16
• 2024 Olympic Champion: United States- 3:09.28

1. Australia – 3:08.97 *Championship Record*
2. Italy – 3:09.58
3. USA -3:09.64
4. Great Britain – 3:10.73
5. China -1 3:11.15
6. Hungary – 3:12.75
7. Lithuania – 3:12.84
8. Canada – 3:12.89

We had a phenomenal race to round off Day 1 of the 2025 World Championships, with Australia, Italy and the U.S locked in a battle right down to the final meters. Both Australia and Italy smashed their National Records, in what was a bumper day for new national standards from this relay.

Men’s 4×100 Free Relay – Records Set Today

• Australia: National Record – 3:08.97
• Australia: Continental Record – 3:08.97
• Italy: National Record – 3:09.58
• Great Britain: National Record – 3:10.73
• Lithuania: National Record – 3:12.74 (heats)
• Israel: National Record – 3:13.39 (heats)
• Norway: National Record – 3:16.66 (heats)
• Jere Hribar (Croatia) – National Record – 47.93 (leadoff)
• Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri (Luxembourg) – National Record – 48.60 (leadoff)
• Sergio de Celis Montalban (Spain) – National Record – 48.24 (leadoff)
• Sander Sorensen (Norway) – National Record – 48.73 (leadoff)

Australia took the gold thanks to another monster anchor leg from King Kyle, his fifth summer in a row where he has split 46.6 or better on the anchor of this relay, but we had some stunning splits up and down the results sheet.

1st Leg – Lead-Off (Flat Start)

1. Jack Alexy, USA – 47.24 (1)
2. Flynn Southam, AUS – 47.77 (2)
3. Carlos D’Ambrosio, ITA – 47.78 (3)
4. Nandor Nemeth, HUN – 47.89 (4)
5. Tomas Navikonis, LTU & Ruslan Gaziev, CAN – 48.37 (=5)
6. –
7. Jacob Mills, GBR – 48.51 (7)
8. Chen Juner, CHN – 48.58 (8)

Jack Alexy had the U.S. out in front by more than half a second, swimming his fourth-fastest time ever on the first leg for the U.S. Flynn Southam, Nandor Nemeth and Carlos D’Ambrosio were separated by just 0.11 seconds as they fought for second place at the touch, with Southam just getting the touch after closing in 24.65.

The Australian was just 0.08 seconds off his best as he stormed back, but it was Nemeth who had the fastest second 50 in 24.41. D’Ambrosio, who led off this morning in 47.96, shaved another two-tenths off to improve his personal best even further and position himself as a contender in the individual 100 later in the week

Alexy was more than four-tenths faster than his 47.67 leadoff last summer, as he will quest to do the short course/long course double in the 100 free, and gave his teammates the best possible platform for the rest of this race.

Nemeth had only been 48.66 so far this year, but broke 48 seconds on the leadoff for the third time in a row in world finals. He was 4th in Paris individually, and will be in the hunt for the final again this year on this showing.

Tomas Navikonis of Ohio State set a new best by 0.28 seconds on the leadoff for Lithuania after splitting 47.47 this morning, although Jacob mills added slightly for Great Britain to go 48.51, half a second off his best, and leave them in a bit of a hole

Chen Juner matched almost the the hundredth his leadoff from this morning, leaving China more than a second off the pace.

Flying Splits

1. Kyle Chalmers, AUS – 46.53
2. Pan Zhanle, CHN – 46.63
3. Patrick Sammon, USA – 47.03
4. Kai Taylor, AUS – 47.04
5. Josh Liendo, CAN – 47.08
6. Thomas Ceccon, ITA – 47.10
7. Duncan Scott, GBR – 47.23
8. Matt Richards, GBR – 47.32
9. Manuel Frigo, ITA – 47.34
10. Lorenzo Zazzeri, ITA – 47.36
11. Chris Guiliano, USA – 47.43
12. Maximillian Giuliani, AUS – 47.63
13. Jacob Whittle, GBR – 47.67
14. Tomas Lukminas, LTU – 47.89
15. Wang Haoyu, CHN – 47.91
16. Jonny Kulow, USA – 47.94
17. Liu Wudi, CHN – 48.03
18. Szebasztian Szabo, HUN – 48.11
19. Antoine Sauve, CAN – 48.18
20. Tajus Juska, LTU – 48.26
21. Adam Jaszo, HUN – 48.27
22. Danas Rapsys, LTU – 48.32
23. Daniel Meszaros, HUN – 48.48
24. Filip Senc-Samardzic, CAN – 49.26

Kyle Chalmers anchor leg was the fastest in the field and one of only two under the 47-second barrier, although there were a further four splits within a tenth of a second As mentioned, that is the fifth summer in a row that he has propeleed Austrlia to hardware with a 46-mid anchor leg, and he looks in fantastic shape for the individual 100 later in the week.

One of his main rivals, Pan Zhanle, was 46.63 on the anchor for China, which staggeringly is somehow slower than his flat start best. He brought them up to 5th from 7th, but had too much to do to catch the three teams in the middle of the pool.

Italy had an incredible race, getting three of the fastest 10 splits and having no swimmer slower than 47.36. Thomas Ceccon was their fastest in 47.10, but both Manuel Frigo and Lorenzo Zazzeri hit on the same relay as they took the Italian Record under 3:10 for the first time. Frigo has a best of 48.34 in the 100 free, so was a full second under that on his leg tonight.

Australia had a pair of big swims from Kai Taylor (4th-fastest) and Max Giuliani (12th) fastest, both of whom were around half a second faster than this morning. Taylor’s 47.04 was huge, as it kept the Aussies within touching distance at halfway and his split of 47.04 was more than a second quicker than his lifetime best of 48.37.

Giuliani has been 48.21 from a flat start, and was six tenths faster in 47.63, keeping it close with Chris Giuliano of the U.S. The American just off his flat start best of 47.25 but slightly faster than his season best of 47.49.

Great Britain got three 47-point swims from their flying legs, as Jacob Whittle fully justified his inclusion with a 47.67 third leg. Duncan Scott (47.23) and Matt Richards (47.32) both look good, but Tom Dean is still a question mark for the 4×200 relay after his anchor of 48.68 this morning.

The Brits took four-tenths of a second off their National Record from 2022 as they finished 4th, making it back-to-back 4th place finishes at Worlds.

Hungary swapped out Hubert Kos after he went 47.71 this morning, but with three 48-point splits almost matched their time exactly, adding just 0.04 seconds. Szebastein Szabo was 48.11 on the second leg for their fastest flying split.

Canada’s Josh Liendo had the 5th-fastest split, but as the only swimmer on their relay under 48 seconds they ended up at the back of the field. Filip Senc-Samardzic added a second from this morning on the anchor to go 49.26

Lithuania shattered their National Record in prelims in 3:12.74 and nearly matched that swim tonight. They swapped Tajus Juska and Tomas Navikonis around, with the youngster Juska splitting 48.26 compared to Navikonis’ 47.47 this morning

Danas Rapsys was half a asecond faster than this morning but still off his National Record of 48.04, while Tomas Lukminas of Arizona was 47.89 to nearly match the 47.87 he went this morning

What does this Mean for the Individual 100 Free

For now, this race looks to be exactly what were thought it might be – a four-way battle between Pan Zhanle, Kyle Chalmers, David Popovici and Jack Alexy. The American swimmer had the fastest leadoff and was close enough to his best to suggest that he is both in good form here, and may have missed the food poisoning/sickness that has plagued some of Team USA

Of the three that we have seen, Kyle Chalmers perhaps looks strongest by a whisker, but he was also bang on where he’s been the last few years on this relay. Pan Zhanle was 46.92 leading off in Tokyo, and his split of 46.63 here isn’t quite as strong. He looks to be in the same form as his rivals rather than far ahead, as he was last year.

We will need to see what kind of form David Popovici is in the individual 200, but he set a new best of 46.71 just last month. One of these four men will walk away from Singapore without a medal in the 100 free,  and right now it still looks to close to call which one it will be.