The Australian women crushed their own 4 x 100 free relay world record tonight, winning the gold medal in a 3:30.65.
The Campbell sisters led the way, with anchor Cate splitting 51.97, and third leg Bronte splitting 52.15, both faster than anyone in the field.
The Australians have held the world record in the 4×100 free since 2014, when they took down the 3:31.72 set by the Netherlands at the 2009 World Championships in Rome. Three of the four team members from tonight were also on the previous world record relay: Cate Campbell, Bronte Campbell, and Emma McKeon. Below see the world record split progression:
| World Record | Swimmer 1 | Swimmer 2 | Swimmer 3 | Anchor | Time |
| 2014 AUS | Bronte Campbell: 53.15 | Melanie Schlanger: 52.76 | Emma McKeon: 52.91 | Cate Campbell: 52.16 | 3:30.98 |
| 2016 AUS | Emma McKeon: 53.47 | Brittany Elmslie: 53.12 | Bronte Campbell: 52.15 | Cate Campbell: 51.97 | 3:30.65 |
In comparison to their splits this morning, McKeon went .64 faster than Madi Wilson, Elmslie improved by .10, Bronte Campbell went .11 faster, and Cate Campbell added .17.
The Australian team came in a full second ahead over the second-place Americans and nearly two ahead of the third-place Canadians.
Cate and Bronte will both take on the 100 free later this week, where they come in heavy favorites to both medal, if not to sweep first and second.
Here, you can see a deeper split analysis:
Very suspicious. No doubt that they’re doping.
I hate everybody for posting the results on the title. I was at a wedding. So, NBC is like, so and so won gold. I am like, man. You stink
They had to. A new Olympic rule that any qualifier for a relay team from any country must swim either heats or final.
So since she did not swim trials she had to swim the finals at night. Had 100 fly so did not swim prelims.
I thought the rule was that any swimmer who has been named as a “relay only” swimmer must compete in the heats or finals of any of the 3 relays. As Vollmer is also competing in an individual event, the 100 fly, the rule does not apply to her. It’s for the likes of Amanda Weir, Lia Neal and Cierra Runge who don’t have an individual swim.
Weir and Neal have met the criteria, and so will Runge when she competes in the 800 free relay. Now if Runge wasn’t selected for either the 800 free relay or the 400 medley relay, then the USA would be DQ’d from the last relay on the schedule, which would be the… Read more »
What was USA splits
I think it was impossible for the US to win anyway. So the decision to have Vollmer swim so that she could also medal. Everyone won the silver medal! Win-win
Anyone know how the decision was made to have Vollmer swim tonight and leave Allison or whoever was #5? what were splits?
It had nothing to do with medals. see above
They had to include Vollmer because she was entered as a relay swimmer so if they didn’t swim her, the whole relay would be disqualified. Anyway, she outsplit everyone from the morning except for Ledecky
I don’t believe so – my understanding is that everyone on your roster must swim an event, but Vollmer was not a relay-only qualifier.
Weir (53.60 leadoff in prelims) or Vollmer (53.59 season best) would pretty much be a wash. I might have gone with weir, but I think when the coaches can help a swimmer get an extra medal they probably will
USA girls fought well and broke American record…..