Day 4 Relay Analysis: Curzan’s -.01 Reaction Time The Only Scare For Dominant U.S. Team

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No surprises in the mixed 400 medley relay, as the United States roared to gold as expected with a stacked lineup that included four swimmers who had all won an individual title through the first three nights of racing in Fukuoka.

The American quartet of Hunter Armstrong, Nic Fink, Claire Curzan and Kate Douglass won gold by nearly three seconds in a time of 3:40.22, essentially matching what the fully-powered U.S. team produced at the 2023 World Championships en route to the bronze (3:40.19).

It was also a reclaiming of the title for Armstrong, Fink and Curzan, who made up three-quarters of the squad that won the world title in 2022 (Torri Huske was the other member).

The Australians were the distant silver medalists in 3:43.12, while Great Britain, the reigning Olympic champions in the event, won bronze in 3:45.09.

FINAL RESULTS

1. USA (Armstrong, Fink, Curzan, Douglass) — 3:40.22
2. Australia (Woodward, Williamson, Throssell, Jack) — 3:43.12
3. Great Britain (Harris, Peaty, Richards, Hopkin) — 3:45.09
4. Poland — 3:46.04
5. Greece — 3:46.69
6. Italy — 3:47.29
7. Sweden — 3:47.46
8. Japan — 3:47.60

Let’s dive into the splits:

MEN’S BACKSTROKE

Armstrong wasn’t as fast as he was in the individual 100 back (52.68), but his 53.07 was still enough to hand the U.S. team the lead.

Ksawery Masiuk, who missed the semis in the 100 back but went a time fast enough for bronze in the prelims (53.09), was three-tenths slower but still touched 2nd in 53.39, with bronze medalist Apostolos Christou adding just over a tenth from his individual swim to put Greece in 3rd early.

For Australia, Bradley Woodward was slower than the 100 back prelims (53.76) but faster than the semis (54.20) where he placed 16th.

WOMEN’S BACKSTROKE

With both of Great Britain’s 100 back entrants, Lauren Cox and Kathleen Dawson, in the 50 back semis, Medi Harris took over and had a solid swim of 1:00.28 on the lead-off leg. Her fastest swim last year came in at 59.62.

Sweden’s Hanna Rosvall was right in the middle of her prelim (1:01.20) and semi swims (1:01.67) from the individual race.

MEN’S BREASTSTROKE

Nicolo Martinenghi blasted the fastest breaststroke split in the field at 58.21, moving Italy up from 5th to 2nd for a brief time before they ultimately fell to 6th.

Fink essentially matched it in 58.27, putting the U.S. head and shoulders ahead of the field after things were tight after the backstroke.

In the individual final, Fink clocked 58.57 and Martinenghi was 58.84.

Adam Peaty, who was the bronze medalist behind those two in the 100 breast, was slower than he was from a flat start in 59.42, as was 4th-place finisher Sam Williamson.

All four were coming off the 50 breast final, where Williamson scored an upset victory and set a new Oceanian Record.

WOMEN’S BREASTSTROKE

The lone female breaststroker, Poland’s Dominika Sztandera was solid in 1:06.98 after she was 1:07-low individually.

MEN’S BUTTERFLY

Jakub Majerski moved Poland up from 7th to 3rd with a 51.05 split on fly, while Matt Richards was under his flat-start best (54.13) by more than a second for the Brits.

WOMEN’S BUTTERFLY

Curzan had a dangerously close -.01 reaction time and ended up narrowly out-splitting her time from the individual final (56.62) to lead all women at 56.54 on fly.

For Greece, Anna Ntountounaki was strong at 56.88 after she went 57.62 individually. Brianna Throssell and Louise Hansson were both a touch slower than the 56.9s they produced in the 100 fly final.

MEN’S FREESTYLE

Bjorn Seeliger ripped a 47.97 split for Sweden in the prelims of the men’s 400 free relay—where they still missed the final with three 49s—and he was just over four-tenths off that here in 48.41. It was enough to edge out Japan for 7th place after they were back by nearly six seconds at the 300-meter mark.

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE

Douglass, Shayna Jack and Anna Hopkin were within two-tenths of one another on the anchor leg, with Douglass leading the charge in 52.34.

This tells us all three will be in the hunt for gold in the 100 free individually.

The split for Hopkin was particularly important as it moved the Brits into medal position after they were in 5th at the final exchange.