Claire Weinstein’s 1:50.31 Propels USA to WR in 4×200 (Day 3 SC Worlds Relay Analysis)

2024 Short Course World Championships

• December 10-15, 2024
• Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
• SCM (25m)
• Meet Central
• Roster Index
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Pick’em
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
• Finals Live Recap: Day 1  | Day 2 | Day 3

Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay – Finals

• World Record: 7:30.87, Australia – 2022
• World Championship Record: 7:30.87, Australia – 2022
• 2022 World Champion: Australia, 7:30.87

Podium

1. USA (A. Walsh, P. Madden, K. Grimes, C. Weinstein) – 7:30.13 ***NEW WORLD RECORD***
2. Hungary (N. Padar, P. Ugrai, D. Molnar, L. Abraham) – 7:33.39
3. Australia (L. Neale, E. Dekkers, M. Jansen, L. Pallister) – 7:33.60
4. NAB – 7:36.68
5. Italy – 7:40.28
6. Germany – 7:42.58
7. China – 7:46.20
8. Brazil – 7:46.76

WHAT A WAY TO END THE DAY.

The American relay consisting of the 2020 Olympic 200 IM silver medalist, the 2024 Olympic 800 free bronze medalist, the 2024 Olympic 400 IM silver medalist, and the Olympic 8th place finisher in the 200 free (I’m aware she won the silver medal on the 4×200) seemed like an unlikely quartet to make history in Budapest, but they did just that.

Upon closer inspection, however, this group had all the makings to do so as Alex Walsh, despite her individual events suggesting otherwise, is a strong freestyler and has a gold from this relay at the Long Course Worlds in 2022 and a bronze from the last edition of this meet. Madden, who is in a massive renaissance of her swimming career, won silver in Paris in this event, and Grimes just crushed her personal best in the 800 free.

Walsh opened in 1:53.25, keeping the US in contact with the Aussies and Hungary who opened up with Leah Neale (1:52.79) and Nikolett Padar (1:52.81). Handing things over to Madden, the US took advantage of Australia’s weak swim and, like the Hungarians, lept over the Aussie into the presumptive silver medal position as Madden split 1:53.18.

Hungary’s Panna Ugrai brought them into first place with a 1:52.59 and turned it over to their weakest leg. Dora Molnar struggled, posting a split of 1:55.39, which saw both Grimes (1:53.39) and Daria Klepikova of the Neutral Athletes team (1:51.94) pass her.

With the anchor legs in the water, the USA led the Australians by 1.94 and the Hungarians by .97 but had the Neutral Athletes B team hot on their heels, only .19 back. Weinstein, however, never looked back and blew apart any opposition as the future Cal bear and Sandpiper swimmer split a speedy 1:50.31 to not only secure the win but run down the World Record line and ultimately pass it.

With a winning time of 7:30.13, the USA undercut the old mark by .74. Hungary and Australia surged past the NAB team to claim the silver and bronze respectively in times of 7:33.39 and 7:33.60. The Hungarian team, consisting of three 18-year-olds crushed the former national record of 7:39.21, a mark set in 2014 by Evelyn Verrastzo, Zsuzsanna Jakabos, Bolgarka Kapas and Katinka Hosszu.

1st Leg (Flat Start)

Leah Neale got the Australian’s off to a strong start, opening up in a 54.77 and closing on 58.02 to give her team the early lead, splitting 1:52.79. Neale, is expected to compete in the 200 free later in the meet, and this swim should be a good sign as she is entered with a 1:53.60.

Hungary’s Nikolett Padar was .18 back of Neale at the 100 meter mark but power though on the back half, the last 50 especially to bring the Hungarians virtually event, as she handed things off to their second leg, just .02 back.

Alex Walsh, who led off the bronze medal winning relay in 2022, was with Neale at the 100, just .08 back but faded on the last 50, to trail the Hungarians by .46. Walsh was third to the wall, hitting it in 1:53.25, a marked improvement from her 1:53.90 lead off leg from Melbourne.

2nd Leg (Flying Start)

Panna Ugrai kicked things into gear for the Hungarians as she pulled out a 1:52.59 split to move her team past the Australians. Her time, the 4th fastest flying split got the home crowd going as she overtook the lead within the first 50 as she was out in 25.62, compared to Elizabeth Dekkers‘ 27.17 for the Australians.

American Paige Madden, who has had the misfortune of placing 4th in both of her individual events, gave the US a strong split as her 1:53.18 also moved her team ahead of the Australians. Madden was not a member of this relay in 2022, but did swim on the US’s silver medal team in Paris.

Italy’s Sofia Morini, who, like Madden, is entered in the individual 200, provided Italy with their fastest split of the evening, but it wasnt’t enough to gain much ground on the Neutral Athlete team or the Australians.

3rd Leg (Flying Start)

The Neutral Athletes, who had been holding steady in 4th exploded into the medal conversation as Daria Klepikova, who had earlier in the session had set a new National record for her nation in the 100 free of 51.68. Klepikova was out in 54.56, which ranks in the middle of opening 100 splits, but poured on the gas in the last 100, coming home in 57.38.

Her split of 1:51.94, the third fastest overall, pulled her team past the Australians and the Hungarians, and the nearly second-and-a-half differential between her and Katie Grimes‘s 1:53.39 meant that the Neutral Athlete B team was just .19 out of first place.

Home crowd favorite Dora Molnar struggled to keep up with the pace of Klepikova, and while just .24 slower on the first 100, the Hungarian wound up considerably slower, splitting 1:55.39.

4th Leg (Flying Start)

With the Gold medal at stake, after Grimes had pulled the US into first, Claire Weinstein, her club teammate, dropped the hammer of all hammers, splitting 1:50.31 t0 to secure the gold medal and break the World Record.

Weinstein, who was the only swimmer to split under 1:51.8 and just one of three under 1:52.00, was out fast in 53.31 and came home in 57.00 to earn her first medal of the meet. Weinstein, the 9th seed in the individual 200, easily puts herself into the medal conversation and will look to go toe to toe with Siobhan Haughey, Mary-Sophie Harvey, and Freya Anderson.

Australia’s Lani Pallister is also in the 200 free and seeded ahead of Weinstein. After winning four golds in Melbourne, Pallister may be having a better meet despite the lack of golds. Splitting 1:51.84, the second fastest overall, Pallister adds another silver to her collection. For reference, Pallister was a part of the Australian relay in 2022 that set the now former World Record, where she anchored in 1:52.24.