Australia Breaks Mixed 4×100 Freestyle World Record – 3:19.38

2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Australia lowered the world record in the 4×100 mixed freestyle relay to a 3:19.38 to take gold in the event on day 7 of the 2022 World Championships. They took the record from the United States, which swam a 3:19.40 to win the event at the 2019 World Championships.

Splits Comparison

Australia – 2022 World Championships USA – 2019 World Championships
100 Jack Cartwright (48.12) Caeleb Dressel (47.34)
200 Kyle Chalmers (46.98) Zach Apple (47.34)
300 Madi Wilson (52.25) Mallory Comerford (52.72)
400 Mollie O’Callaghan (52.03) Simone Manuel (52.00)

This is the second time that Australia has held the world record in the mixed 4×100 freestyle since FINA started ratifying world records for the event in 2013.

World Record Progression – Mixed 4×100 Freestyle

Year World Record Country Team
2013 3:45.38 USA Lindsay Vrooman, Kait Flederbach, Steve Schmuhl, Jackson Miller
2014 3:23.29 Australia Tommaso D’Orsogna, Cate Campbell, James Magnussen, Bronte Campbell
2015 3:23.05 USA Ryan Lochte, Nathan Adrian, Simone Manuel, Missy Franklin
2017 3:19.60 USA Caeleb Dressel, Nathan Adrian, Mallory Comerford, Simone Manuel
2019 3:19.40 USA Caeleb Dressel, Zach Apple, Mallory Comerford, Simone Manuel
2022 3:19.38 Australia Jack Cartwright, Kyle Chalmers, Madi Wilson, Mollie O’Callaghan

Notably, this world record has been broken once at each World Championships meet since 2015 (the first year that the event was featured). The mixed 4×100 freestyle is the only relay contested at the World Championships that is not contested at the Olympics, explaining the absence of world record-breaking swims at an Olympiad.

The Australian team was third after the first 100 during their world record-breaking swim as Jack Cartwright put up a 48.12 to trail Josh Liendo from Canada (48.12) and Ryan Held of the USA (47.93). But 2016 Olympic champion in the 100 freestyle Kyle Chalmers ran down the field with a 46.98 split to take the lead by the 200-meter mark.

The Australian duo of Madi Wilson and Mollie O’Callaghan closed with splits of 52.25 and 52.03 to hold onto Australia’s lead and pull off the world record-breaking time of 3:19.28.

In addition to this being the second time that Australia has held the world record in the mixed 4×100 freestyle, it is the first time that a non-USA contingent has pulled off the win in this event. At the first 3 World Championships to feature the event team USA won in world record time. Team USA placed third in 2022 with a 3:21.09 while Canada managed to snag the silver medal in Canadian record fashion of 3:20.61.

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Personal Best
2 years ago

Very happy for Maddie Wilson – what she’s been able to accomplish after flipping over from backstroke has been super, not forgetting she is a WC silver medalist in the 100 back. She’s been such an integral part of the Aussie women’s team at these WCs.

Also, the fact that MOC has been able to maintain her composure through this meet is very impressive. She’s had some tough races and held on to win.

Chlorinetherapy
2 years ago

Flipping heck what happened between 2013 and 2014!

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Chlorinetherapy
2 years ago

it was a new event in 2013, and the first wr was set by a college team without any international caliber athletes on the relay. the second wr was set by a team featuring the no 1 man and woman, and the 3rd best woman in the world that year, with the only weak link being a 49 low from the 2nd male. there was a big jump in quality of the teams lol

Last edited 2 years ago by Emily Se-Bom Lee
Skip
2 years ago

Awesome swimming, great selections, sooo happy for Madi Wilson and MOC, super times!

Hooked on Chlorine
2 years ago

Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!!!

torchbearer
2 years ago

Love the pic, three of them are really excited, and MOC ‘oh look, another medal’ 🙂

Sub13
Reply to  torchbearer
2 years ago

She’s probably overwhelmed. 12 months ago she was completely unknown in Australia. Now she’s a triple Olympic medallist, triple world champion, world record holder and primed to take over the face of Australian swimming at 18 years old.

Robbos
2 years ago

Great to see Carthwright getting back to a near 47 swimmer, he’s had so many injuries, the Aussies building for Paris 24 with the 4x 100 free.

Robbos
2 years ago

Lovely to wake up to this.

boknows34
2 years ago

Fair play to the Aussies. They have had a very good championships when you consider who was missing (Chalmers in the 100 free included).