The women’s 800 free relay has grown into one of the most exciting and sometimes unpredictable relays in the sport. Three countries in particular – Australia, the United States, and China – have raised the bar for what is possible in the event. Here are our thoughts and predictions about how this event could go down in Singapore.
By The Numbers
- World Record: Australia (M. O’Callaghan, S. Jack, B. Throssell, A. Titmus) — 7:37.50 (2023)
- World Championship Record: Australia — 7:37.50 (2023)
- 2024 Olympic Champions: Australia (M. O’Callaghan, L. Pallister, B. Throssell, A. Titmus) — 7:38.08
Dominance Down Under
The Aussie women have been the undisputed queens of mid-distance swimming so far this decade, led by 20 free world record holder Ariarne Titmus. With Titmus sitting out of competition this year, the country still has a reliable leader in Mollie O’Callaghan, the reigning Olympic 200 free champion and the #1 ranked swimmer in the event this season (1:54.43).
A Titmus-sized hole in an 800 free relay is virtually impossible to fill, but that doesn’t mean the Aussies haven’t tried. Under her new coach, Dean Boxall, Lani Pallister had a breakout meet at The Australian Trials. She ranks #2 in the world this year at 1:54.89. Also stepping up to the plate is 400 freestyler Jamie Perkins, who hit a 1:55.44 personal best at trials this year.
To round out their relay, Australian coaches have the luxury (or challenge) of choosing between Abbey Webb and Hannah Casey, who have twin season and personal bests of 1:56.09s.
Together, these ladies add up to an impressive 7:40.37. It’s tough to bet against a team led by the reigning Olympic champion and three other women on the up-and-up this year.
American Ascension
Despite Australia’s impressive merits this season, the red, white, and blue team trails them by less than a second in the add-ups (7:41.11). The American women have consistently overperformed compared to expectations in this event recently, and nobody more so than Katie Ledecky. The freestyle GOAT has been on a historic tear this year in her longer events, and we’ll see if she can do the same in the 200 with a Worlds taper. At U.S. nationals, she turned in a season best of 1:55.26.
Typically her country’s relay centerpiece, Ledecky actually ranks third this season among Americans behind Claire Weinstein (1:54.92) and Erin Gemmell (1:55.23). They both have extensive international relay experience, and they seem to be on improvement curves.
A prelims swimmer for this relay in Paris, Anna Peplowski dropped a huge pb of 1:55.70 recently to make herself a contender for the fourth leg. The other most likely contender is Torri Huske, who will be very busy in Singapore but is a tried and true clutch relay swimmer. Her season and personal best sit at 1:55.71. She just announced she will be forfeiting her individual 200 swim.
Chinese Consistency
China rounds out the trinity of countries that have relentlessly dominated the rest of the world in this event post-Covid. China’s story for 2025 closely resembles that of Australia’s in several ways. Like Titmus, China’s top athlete, Yang Junxuan has been absent from competition in 2025. If Yang and Titmus are equivalents, then the Lani Pallister equivalent stepping up this season to a new level this year would be Yaxin Liu. She broke 1:55 for the first time at Chinese Spring Nationals this year, going 1:54.96 for the #4 rank in the world this year.
The Chinese have another reliable veteran in Li Bingjie, who has swum as fast as 1:55.52 this season. For the other two spots, Chinese coaches might tap two of their prelims swimmers from Paris, Yang Peiqi and Li Jiaping. At Chinese Nationals, they logged times of 1:56.59 and 1:57.14, respectively. Sandwiched between them at Nationals was the versatile IMer Yu Yiting (1:57.00). Yu would be a rookie to the 800 relay but has Olympic medal experience in the 400 free and medley relays.
The three aforementioned countries are a cut above the rest. To be exact, #3 China sits six seconds ahead of #4 in the 2025 add-up rankings. These countries are the heavy podium favorites. Take a look at their 2024-25 season add-ups below:
| Australia | United States | China | |
| #1 | Mollie O’Callaghan (1:54.43) | Claire Weinstein (1:54.92) | Yaxin Liu (1:54.96) |
| #2 | Lani Pallister (1:54.89) | Erin Gemmell (1:55.23) | Li Bingjie (1:55.52) |
| #3 | Jamie Perkins (1:55.44) | Katie Ledecky (1:55.26) | Yang Peiqi (1:56.59) |
| #4 | Abbey Webb/Hannah Casey (1:56.09) | Anna Peplowski (1:55.70) | Yu Yiting (1:57.00) |
| Total | 7:40.37 | 7:41.11 | 7:44.07 |
An Excellent X-Factor
Unfortunately for Canada, this relay will immediately follow the women’s 200 fly final in Singapore. This poses a conflict for Summer McIntosh, the best female swimmer in the world right now with a 200 free lifetime best of 1:53.65. The Canadian coaches will almost certainly want to put in a fatigued Mcintosh, given how far she is ahead of the rest of the country. At the Canadian Trials, the best meet of McIntosh’s career thus far, she opted out of the 200. Several questions arise with respect to McIntosh and this event. Has she improved in her 200 free as much as she has in her other events this season? How close to 100% can she get fresh out of the 200 fly? Is she even going to swim in this event? Our predictions for this event were made under the assumption of the last answer question being yes.
Of the athletes who have swum the event this year, Mary Sophie-Harvey leads the Great White North’s cohort with a 1:56.46. Behind her, the country has returning relay players Ella Jansen and Brooklyn Douthwright. Making her summer championship debut will be NCAA finalist Sienna Angove.
Clash for the Crown Of Europe
While the pan-Pacific forces of Australia and the U.S. jockey for the top spot, a battle brews on the other side of the world for the best European squad. Over the last few years, that title has unquestionably belonged to Great Britain, led by Freya Anderson and Freya Colbert. However, Hungarian swimmers Minna Abraham and Nikolett Padar put the Brits on notice with a pair of 1:56.03s for gold at the Euro U23 Champs. Here’s what the add-ups this year look like for the two European forces:
| Hungary | Great Britain |
| Nikolett Padar (1:56.03) | Freya Colbert (1:55.76) |
| Minna Abraham (1:56.03) | Leah Schlosshan (1:57.80) |
| Panna Urgai (1:58.55) | Abbie Wood (1:57.98) |
| Dora Molnar (2:00.21) | Freya Anderson (1:58.87) |
| 7:50.82 | 7:50.41 |
Other Players
Brazil nabbed a new South American record in this relay last year, and they could challenge that record again in Singapore. This year, they bring two women with 1:56 best times: national record holder Maria Fernanda Costa and Stephanie Balduccini, who lit it up for the title at their nationals in April. Aline Rodrigues and Gabrielle Concalves also dipped under 2:00 at nationals, making them the likely next two spots.
Competing under the neutral flag, Russia has had three women who each hit 1:58 low this year: Daria Klepikova, Ksenia Misharina, and Daria Trofimova.
New Zealand placed 8th at the Olympics last year in this event. They’ll be looking to make back-to-back finals, led by Erika Fairweather with a 1:56.56 season best.
The three countries that missed the Paris final by a second, Israel, Italy, and Germany, will all get a shot to avenge their narrow miss this year.
SwimSwam’s Top 8 Picks
| Rank | Country | 2024 Paris Time | 2025 Add-Up Time |
| 1 | Australia | 7:38.08 | 7:40.37 |
| 2 | United States | 7:40.86 | 7:41.11 |
| 3 | China | 7:42.34 | 7:44.07 |
| 4 | Canada | 7:46.05 | 7:52.30 |
| 5 | Great Britain | 7:48.23 | 7:50.41 |
| 6 | Hungary | 7:50.52 | 7:50.82 |
| 7 | Brazil | 7:50.90 | 7:53.60 |
| 8 | Russia | n/a | 7:53.84 |
Dark Horse: Japan – The Japanese women had depth on display at their 2025 National Championships with six girls at 2:00.1 or better. Leading the way is Nagisa Ikemoto, who has hit 1:58 low several times since Paris. A breakthrough performance by Ikemoto combined with the right combination of consistent splits could put Japan in the mix to get their hand on the wall higher in the ranks than 13, where they finished in Paris.
Wow and without TITMUS 👏
Realistically, how fast could McIntosh go in a 200 rested/flat start? With a 3:54low 400, could she hit 1:51?
I think Pallister-Perkins-Casey or Webb-MOC would be the best line up. With Mollie’s ability to storm home in the final 50 of a 200 I think Australia needs her to anchor.
I suppose the only question mark about the 3rd leg is could first-timers Casey or Webb handle the pressure of racing against Ledecky if the US put her on the 3rd leg, as they have done recently. Putting Perkins, who has already swum an Olympic individual final and prelims relay, against Ledecky would be an option if it was a concern.
Lani said last year she feels she can execute her 200 better from a flat start so I think you might be right about the order.
The Americans have used Ledecky in both middle legs in recent years so it’s hard to know which they’ll choose. Maybe they’ll surprise us and put her on anchor thinking Australia will lead off with Mollie.
Yes picking a relay lineup based on what you think the opposition will do could backfire. Maybe best to keep it simple.
If Mollie leads off in a sub 1.54 and pallister swims a sub 1.55 relay split – don’t see why Australia can’t win
Don’t quite understand why the Aussies aren’t favourites.
They are but they’re often slower than trials while the Americans are often faster.
Didn’t they Australia Beat the WR in Comm games 2022, and aging in WC 2023 & Olympic record in 2024 in their last 3 int’l outings excluding Doha?
2022 budapaste, won by USA with CR. And only Ledecky was the superstar.. leah and weinstien both did not make the individual final while sums had a 1.57 pb..Sims swam against World champion MOC in anchor..sims never looked back and came home in a speedy 1.54.6.
Both team have a equal chance, but lineup matters
I feel this year gonna turn out like in the 2022 when swimswam thought the American women were gonna finish 4th but ended up winning
The American women are too deep 5 @1:55 or better flat start (manuel went 1:56.9 last week and sims went 1:57 at trials)
Gemmel in the form of her life (and we went 53.6 in the 100) Weinstein and gemmell are gonna go 1:54 in the relay and ledecky will too almost certainly,
Lot of options for the 4 swimmer all capable 1:55 or better split
I actually agree that USA will probably win this and will probably pick them, but your reasoning that “5 1:55s is too deep to lose” doesn’t make sense. AUS has 5 at 1:56.0 or better and the AUS top 4, top 5 and top 6 season add ups are all better than USA’s.
My reasoning is that Ledecky always splits much faster than her individual. I think it’ll basically come down to whether MOC was at her peak at trials or if she will drop time. She dropped significant time from trials to the event in Tokyo and Fukuoka, but added time in Budapest and Paris.
i think its going to be a dead heat but imo moc will likely drop time. i doubt they fully tapered her at trials given how much softer the field was this year. i think the race will hinge on how the 3 other aussie legs perform. they typically have added from trials in the past and 2 of them will be rookies on the finals relay this year.
Yeah a few different variables to consider… think it’ll be close either way. Would be surprised if either team wins by more than a second (although this might change during the meet once we see the type of form most of them are in)
I have high hopes the Aussies will win. They still have a great team.
Does time zone play a factor here… especially for the Aussies.
Unfortunately I don’t see us taking this win this time. Ledecky for sure is going 1:53 and Molly has been kinda meh this year. Unless lani pulls out a banger we losing
I would happily accept 6th place with an NR.
Canada’s relays have become worse than it’s national association football (soccer) programs (men’s and women’s). From John “loud mouth” Herdman to Jesse “butt sore” Marsch, Canada can’t win.
Strange comment. Both swimming and soccer have never really been popular in Canada and we’ve never really been that great on the world stage in either sport. We play hockey in Canada, and by play I mean that in Canada hockey is much more than just a sport. Some perspective, the top 9 most watched sporting events in Canada are all hockey, people per rink in Canada is 14,000 vs 213,000 in the US. My young kids just joined the local swim team and hockey team, I live in a rural area with a small population. My kids swim team has 7 kids his age, the hockey team has 89 (there’s probably like 95 kids in the area his age).… Read more »
“Oh – Summer McIntosh is better than Walsh, Madden, Grimes and Weinstein and you know it 😉”
Oh BURNED!
the hero we all needed
Plus the add up for Canada above does not include a time from Summer. Considering Summer’s training right now she’ll be fine doing 2 200s. At Canadian trials the 200 free was on the 6th day of competition which could have led to some slower swims. Aus/Usa/Chi 200 frees were all earlier in their trials. They are still in the hunt for a medal.