Commonwealth Games 2022: Australian 4x200m relay team obliterate world record
Australia’s 4x200m freestylers exorcised the demons of Tokyo in the most emphatic fashion, as the swimmer controversially dumped at the Olympics helped them seal redemption.
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Australia has smashed the world record to win gold in the women’s 4x200 metres freestyle relay at the Commonwealth Games.
Madi Wilson, Kiah Melverton, Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus combined to win the gold in 7:39.29 — hacking more than a second off the previous world record (7:40.33) set by China at last year’s Tokyo Olympics.
They were expected to win but this was sweet redemption because the Aussies were hot favourites to win in Tokyo after going in as world champions only to finish third after controversially leaving teenage sensation O’Callaghan out of the final lineup.
But they got the selection right this time, even leaving out Emma McKeon.
With Titmus absent, the Aussies had finished second behind the United States at last month’s world titles but demolished their opponents on Monday morning with the Terminator anchoring the team with a mind-boggling fast split of 1:52.82 seconds.
“I’m really happy to be able to perform for the girls,” Titmus said afterwards. “I mean, in the past couple of relays I have done I feel like I haven’t really performed my role as well as would have liked.
“I was disappointed last year at the Olympics, so I’m glad that I could do my job for the team.”
Asked if she knew how fast her anchor swim was, Titmus added: “I actually felt like I was going a bit slow. On the way back. I’m passing the other girls. I felt a bit of a wash and I didn’t really know how fast I was going. But I the crowd definitely helped.”
Watching on was Dolphins coach Dean Boxall - who is the personal coach of Titmus and O’Callaghan - went ballistic again, then hugged all four girls when they got out of the water.
Wilson said: “I had Dean in the box tell me the split that she had to go to make the world record with his fingers. So I knew when he told me that she had to go 1”54.1 so I just wanted her to get in and have fun and really just enjoy the experience of anchoring such an amazing team.”
Just moments before the record-breaking relay race, McKeon had made history winning gold in the women’s 50m freestyle to become Australia’s most decorated Commonwealth Games athlete of all time.
“I just get in there and do my best,” she said afterwards. “Take each race one at a time. When I get in I want to win obviously. Like everyone else in the race. I feel like I am a lot more relaxed this year than last year. I think the place that I am in mentally is showing in my performances.”
It was an Australia 1-2-3 with Meg Harris second and Shayna Jack taking the bronze.
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CHALMERS BLITZES SEMI-FINAL
Kyle Chalmers has put aside the controversy of recent days to post a sensational time in the 100m freestyle semi finals to qualify fastest for the final in Birmingham.
Chalmers has put the rest of the field on notice posting a blistering 47.36 seconds, a time which would have won him world championship gold in Budapest in June.
The Rio Olympic champion has been in the centre of a storm in recent days after reports of a division in the Australian swim team.
On Sunday morning, an emotional Chalmers denied there was any split and claimed the swim team was unified and that reports he was involved had taken a mental toll on him.
He said standing on the blocks for his heat swim was one of the hardest things he has ever had to do.
Even after his semi final swim where he asserted his dominance he was still finding it difficult to perform.
“I don’t have anything else to say, it’s rough. It’s been a whirlwind. It’s nice to swim fast. I think it’s easy to put on a brave face and smile. It’s hard, it’s very hard.”
GOLD FOR AUSTRALIASWIMMING: Another race another gold with Kaylee McKeown winning the 100m backstroke gold denying her great rival Kylie Masse.
The Aussie clocked a time of 58.60.
6:AM SILVER FOR AUSTRALIASWIMMING: An incredible turn of events in the pool with two-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty not winning a medal in the men’s 50m breaststroke which was won by James Wilby with Australia’s Zac Stubblety Cook coming in second and Sam Williamson took the bronze.
Oustanding swim from the Aussies, thats the first time Peaty has not won the distance since 2014.
AUSSIE STRIPPED OF MEDALAUSSIE STRIPPED OF MEDAL
A day after his Comm Games campaign was almost ended by a horror crash, Matthew Glaetzer has been stripped of his medal in the latest controversy at the velodrome.
Glaetzer took out the bronze medal, defeating Scotland’s Jack Carlin but the race was immediately under investigation with officials with the Aussie deemed to have moved towards the inside of the track when his opponent was already there.
After 30 minutes of deliberation, Glaetzer was relegated to fourth, the Aussie sat with his hands in his head and a look of despair on his face.
Former Australia track cyclist Kate Bates was furious with the decision saying her colleague had been robbed.
“I have got my cranky pants went on if this decision goes that way,” she said on Channel 7. “Maybe you would change your mind about your opinion on the fairness of the judges. Of course we want the Aussies to be treated fairly but this one is a shocker.
We don’t need to argue about it but I do think this is the right decision if they take it off Matt Glaetzer. I don’t think sprint should be analysed and it is not in the fairness of the rules or the spirit of how the rules were written that every single metre get so analysed.
“Just down to the millimetre of it. And they don’t have to find the blame, they don’t have to decide whether he impeded him or not they don’t have to go looking for it.”
GOLD RUSH FOR AUSTRALIA
Team Australia has increased its lead at the top of the Commonwealth Games medal tally after adding three more gold to its haul on day three in Birmingham.
Georgia Godwin is now a gold medal winner after a spectacular all-round final clinched a glorious moment for Australian gymnastics.
Godwin, 24, took home the all-round silver on the Gold Coast in 2018 but went one better at Arena Birmingham with a series of decisive and tidy performances across all four apparatus.
Elsewhere, Georgia Baker, Kristina Clonan and Matthew Richardson all claimed gold at the velodrome.
Baker put in an impressive ride over the 25km race, finishing with a haul of 55 points, with Scotland’s Neah Evans in second and Wales’ Eluned King in third.
Clonan meanwhile shocked Canada’s Olympic champion Kelsey Mitchell to win gold in the women’s sprint.
Richardson claimed gold in the men’s sprint.
In the para cycling, Jess Gallagher and pilot Caitlin Ward had earlier taken out the 1000m tandem time trial.
The para-athlete and her pilot were the fastest around the velodrome in the women’s tandem time trial to take the gold.
‘BREAKING POINT’: THORPIE’S ADVICE TO CHALMERS
Australian swimming great Ian Thorpe has come to the defence of Kyle Chalmers after the Olympic champions said he was reconsidering his future in the sport.
Day two of the Commonwealth Games swim meet started like any other — but it ended in two massive team gold medals and a fiery press conference with Chalmers.
After two days of speculation of a rift in the team, Chalmers blew-up at the post-race press conference accusing the media of making up stories about troubles in the team and his apparent snub of his ex-girlfriend and relay teammate Emma McKeon.
In emotional outbursts at the conference and later on his social media accounts, Chalmers denied there was a rift and spoke about the pressures the coverage was having on the team as well as the toll it was taking on his own mental health.
Thorpe called for immediate attention to the latter point.
“Talking about going from the hero to the villain and something because he hasn’t done it, we’re talking about someone that doesn’t feel as though they’re in control of the narrative around their own story,” he said on Channel 7.
“The things that I have read and saying that you’re at breaking point, rock bottom kind of area, this is concerning.
“When he says he’s almost at breaking point it’s almost as though it’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“We don’t know the back story. Kyle has spoken about struggles he’s had with mental health. I have done a similar thing as well and know a lot of athletes do go through this.
“I hope it can quieten down for him because we’re looking at the priorities in all of this. Number one is his mental health.”
BRONZE FOR TRIATHLON MIXED RELAYBy Erin Smith in Birmingham
Teamwork, clever tactics, plenty of sweat and even a few tears - that is what it took for the Australian mixed relay triathlon team to come from behind and earn a spot on the podium.
Australia were unable to defend their title, finishing with the bronze medal, as England claimed gold.
A slow start meant Jack Birtwhistle was seventh out of the water, but by the time he touched hands with Natalie van Coevorden he had worked his way into third, thanks to a determined run leg.
England who launched their race with individual gold medal winner Alex Yee had put a fair amount of distance between themselves and the rest of the pack by the time their second athlete, Sophie Coldwell, hit the water.
Van Coevorden managed to jump to second in the swim but dropped a few places in the swim and run- handing over to Matt Hauser, in fifth place.
Fresh from his bronze medal in the individual race Matt Hauser handed over the reins to Sophie Linn for the final leg in fourth spot, just 16 seconds off the pace.
Chasing down women’s silver medal winner England’s Georgina Taylor-Brown who had gained a lead of a minute by the run leg.
In a battle for silver and bronze between Australia, Wales and New Zealand it was the Welsh who took second spot while the Kiwis missed out on a medal.
SECOND CYCLING GOLD FOR GALLAGHER, WARDJess Gallagher and Caitlin Ward have won their second gold medal of the Commonwealth Games.
The para-athlete and her pilot were the fastest around the velodrome in the women’s tandem time trial to take the gold.
They had already won the women’s tandem sprint on the first day and will come away with two gold medals from London.
England’s Sophie Unwin, and pilot Georgia Holt, who controversially did not get a bronze medal from the women’s tandem sprint despite being advertised as winning it came in second.
11.55PM MEN’S SEVENS BLOW GOLD MEDAL SHOT
By Joe Barton at the rugby
Australia’s gold medal hopes have blown up in their face following a 50m charge down try as they were toppled by South Africa in the semi-finals.
Twice Australia led, only to be pegged back, with ill-discipline costing John Manenti’s squad dearly – a yellow card to forward Henry Hutchinson on halftime proving critical in the 24-12 defeat.
South Africa scored twice while Hutchinson was in the bin – firstly before halftime, and then a killer blow after the break when a Corey Toole kick was charged down and returned for the back-breaking try by Selwyn Davids.
Australia, who had gone ahead through tries to Mark Nawaqanitawase and Matt Gonzalez, struggled to fight their way back into the game after going behind as Angelo Davids ran riot, scoring a hat-trick.
“I’m disappointed. I thought we had enough chances to win that,” said coach Manenti.
“We said prior to that game, the great incentive to win was a guaranteed medal. Now we can go home without a medal, like most teams, or do something special, something you’ll always remember, and win a bronze.”
Australia will instead face New Zealand for a bronze medal shot, following an exhilarating first semi-final.
Earlier, Fiji pulled off one of the upsets of the Games when they eliminated five-time champions New Zealand in an extra-time thriller.
For just the second time in Commonwealth Games history, the All Blacks Sevens tasted defeat – and it took an extraordinary comeback to pull it off.
After falling behind 14-0, Fiji levelled the scores through Sevuloni Mocenacagi and Filipe Sauturaga – and had a golden chance to seal it in regulation time, with New Zealand reduced to five men following two yellow cards.
New Zealand bravely defended their tryline for two minutes after the full-time whistle to force extra time – where Fiji captain Waisea Nacuqu sent Coventry Arena into raptures with a stunning 60m matchwinner.
Shattered All Blacks lay on the turf long after full-time as Fiji kicked off wild celebrations.
9.05PM: KOOKABURRAS DESTROY SCOTLAND
By Joe Barton in Birmingham
The Kookaburras have sent a terrifying reminder that they are a force to be reckoned with, kicking off their Commonwealth Games campaign with an 12-goal annihilation of Scotland.
The six-time defending champions, who have won every men’s hockey gold in Commonwealth Games history, are heavily favoured to claim a seventh in Birmingham this week.
And they showed exactly why on Sunday, showing no mercy in a 12-0 thrashing of a shell-shocked Scotland – with six individual goalscorers getting in on the action on a steamy morning as the sun finally returned to Birmingham.
Defender Jeremy Hayward had a phenomenal day out, leading the charge with four goals while Tom Wickham, Nathan Ephraums and Tim Brand bagged doubles.
Australia dominated the set pieces, scoring seven goals from 15 penalty corners as they taught Scotland a lesson in international hockey.
Goal-scoring machine Blake Govers added to his incredible legacy with his 109th game from 121 games, and defender Josh Simmonds also added to the Scotland bloodbath.
Coach Colin Batch shared the minutes throughout his squad in an effort to get some miles into the legs of all players ahead of a gruelling tournament – with goalkeepers Andrew Charter (two saves) and back-up Johan Durst (five saves) splitting the responsibility of the clean sheet.
Scotland looked to have scored in the final second of the match, only to have the goal scrubbed off by the video umpire – who ruled it had crossed the line after time had expired.
Australia will face a stiffer challenge when they take on New Zealand in their second match on Monday.
9:23PM PARA-TRI AUSSIE SILVER!By Erin Smith
Aussie para-triathlete Sam Harding has claimed a silver medal at the inaugural vision impaired para-triathlon at a Commonwealth Games.
Harding and guide Luke Harvey were third out the swim but managed to claw back a spot in the cycle leg- in slippery conditions, before pulling out a solid run leg to cross the line second behind England’s David Ellis.
Jonathan Georlach and guide David Manwaring pipped Gerrard Gosens in the final transition to lead into a strong run leg and claim third.
Gosens was yet to cross the line but was in sixth position.
Erica Burleigh is still on course for the women’s event.
SWIMMING WRAP
WOMEN’S 50M BUTTERFLY
Emma McKeon qualified fourth fastest for the semi-finals, just doing enough to get through without showing her hand early.
Conserving her energy because she’s swimming in nine events at Birmingham and needs to manage her program carefully, she won her heat in 26.65 seconds to ease into the next round.
Her Aussie team mates Alex Perkins (sixth) and Holly Barratt (seventh) also made it through while Canada’s Maggie Mac Neil, who beat McKeon in the 100m butterfly final on Sunday morning, was fastest overall (26.24).
MEN’S 200M BUTTERFLY
Australia’s Bowen Gough and Brendon Smith both qualified directly for the final, while Kieren Pollard is the second reserve, but needs two swimmers to pull out to swim in the final.
Gough won his heat in 1:57.53 to qualify fourth fastest overall, behind New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt (1:56.76), who won gold in the 400m individual medley and Chad Le Clos (1:56.85), the South African who famously beat Michael Phelps for the Olympic gold at London on 2012.
Scott was third overall while Smith, silver medallist behind Clareburt, snuck into the final in eighth place (1:58.86).
WOMEN’S 200M BREASTSTROKE
Australia’s three representatives - Jenna Strauch, Abbey Harkin and Taylor McKeown - all advanced safely to the final.
Runner-up to American Lilly King at last month’s world championships in Hungary, Strauch second behind South African Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Tatiana Schoenmaker, who skipped Budapest to focus on the Commonwealth Games.
Harkin qualified fifth and McKeown seventh.
Men’s 50m backstroke
The three Aussies all got through safely to the semis.
Veteran Mitch Larkin, the defending champion, was eighth, while Bradley Woodward was sixth and Ben Armbruster third. South Africa’s Pieter Coetze was fastest overall.
8:19PM BOWING OUT
Taylor McKeown, the Commonwealth champion competing in her last competition timed her run into tonight’s final of the 200m breaststroke to perfection, finishing sixth in her heat, but being swept along by the speed of fellow Australian Jenna Strauch and heat winner South African Tatjana Schoenmaker.
McKeown, the older sister of Kaylee McKeown, qualified in seventh position, with Strauch the second fastest qualifier.Abbey Harkin has also gone through as the fifth fastest.
7:52PM AUSSIE DEBUTANT MAKES A SPLASH
By Jacquelin Magnay
Debutant Bowen Gough ensured he made the final of the 200m butterfly with a slick personal best time of 1min57.52sec to win his heat.
Gough had to leave nothing in the pool, not knowing how quick the next heat would go. It was loaded with stars like the inform Kiwi youngster Lewis Clareburt , the London Olympic champion Chad Le Clos and the medal winning Scot, Duncan Scott, who in the end all went faster than Gough’s winning time.
While Gough heads to the final ranked fourth fastest, Brendon Smith, the silver medallist in the 400m individual medley on day two of the Games, snuck into the final in eighth place,
Kieren Pollard just missed out, finishing ninth.
7:51AM CYCLING: AUSSIE IS BACKMatthew Glaetzer has shown little effects of the horror crash that ended his quest for a Commonwealth Games keirin three-peat when he resumed racing in the sprint.
Glaetzer crashed at around 70km/h at the start of the final lap for the second round of the keirin on Saturday evening.
The South Australian fell into the path of England’s Joe Truman, who went face first into the boards and was knocked out almost instantly.
Truman was not responsive for a period of time, which silenced the usually loud Lee Valley velodrome in London.
He was wheeled out of the venue with an oxygen mask required and taken to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone.
Glaetzer, who suffered multiple abrasions and burns on his body, was monitored by Australian medical staff overnight.
7:34PM RELIEF FOR AUSSIE CYCLIST
By Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Matt Glaetzer has been medically cleared to compete in the sprint at the Commonwealth Games after his horror crash in the keirin.
The Australians quest to win three straight keirins at the Games ended in horrific fashion when he crashed at 70km/h in the final lap of his second round race.
After he crashed Glaetzer took out England’s Joe Truman, who was knocked out almost immediately and suffered a suspected broken collarbone.
With his race kit torn to shreds, Glaetzer got up quickly and was placed in the hands of doctors.
He was monitored overnight and on Sunday morning was cleared to race.
Glaetzer’s parents have opened up about the “terrifying” moment they saw their son crash to the boards.
The Aussie was able to limp away with a torn race suit and burns to the right side of his body, although he has reportedly had a large splinter of wood from the track removed from his elbow.
“It’s always terrifying to watch your child have a crash like that no matter how old they are,” Meredith told Channel 7’s Sunrise.
“I was always nervous and had butterflies in my tummy all the time (watching him race on the track) but he’s always enjoyed pushing the limits.”
7:20PM WHO IS UP IN THE POOL THIS EVENING?
Men’s 200m butterfly heats:
Bowen Gough, Brendon Smith, Kieren Pollard
Women’s 200m breaststroke heats:
Abbey Harkin, Jenna Strauch, Taylor McKeown
Thorpie rates Australia’s best chances in the pool
Men’s 50m backstroke heats:
Brad Woodward, Ben Armbruster, Mitch Larkin
Women’s 50m butterfly heats:
Emma McKeon, Alexandria Perkins, Holly Barratt
Men’s 100m freestyle heats:
Zac Incerti, Kyle Chalmers, William Yang
NUMBERS SHOW COMM GAMES A HIT
Who says Australians don’t care about the Commonwealth Games any more?
More than 400,000 Aussies tuned in to the evening session from Birmingham on Friday than watched Channel Seven’s coverage of the Fremantle-Melbourne AFL match.
Figures collated by Mediaweek show the Commonwealth Games evening session recorded 765,000 viewers, of which just under 500,000 were from metropolitan areas.
The night session was slightly down at 705,000 and the late night coverage dipped to 461,000 on the opening day of the games.
Albeit a later than usual 8.10pm start, the top-four Dockers-Demons blockbuster drew 363,000 metro viewers on Channel Seven. The figures showed 280,000 metro viewers tuned watched the footy.
Friday’s two NRL games drew a combined audience of 566,000 from pay TV and free to air (one game), a figure well below the Commonwealth Games numbers on that night.
AUSSIE’S UNCOMFORTABLE BEAR HUG
Imagine being at the centre of the weirdest rugby tackle of the year not once… but twice.
And both on the same day.
That’s Corey Toole’s Commonwealth Games experience, after the livewire star was twice held up in bizarre gang-tackles by opponents – all of which was completely above board.
Against both Kenya and Samoa, the lively Toole was swamped by tacklers and lifted in the air – bolt upright – as he was squeezed and slowly moved towards the sidelines.
And so the 22-year-old is more or less stuck in the world’s least enjoyable, 45-second bear hug.
“It happens like once a season, and it’s happened twice a day for me. I’m a bit light so they get a hold of me,” Toole said.
“It’s not fun being next to five boys putting shots on you. It’s just a big wrestle, I’m getting smashed in there to be honest.”
On both occasions, Australia had both a lead and a man in the sin-bin - and was happy to let their opponents waste valuable seconds.
“It was chewing seconds off the clock and worked in our favour,” Toole said.
“If my teammates come in it’s a maul and they don’t have to release.
“It’s best if they stay off and chew some time, because we were in the lead as well. If we were chasing points we might hit the ruck.”
- Joe Barton
BECKHAM STOPPED AT AIRPORT
David Beckham and Ronaldo are India’s great gold medal hopes in the cycling team sprint – though bearing such recognisable names resulted in a uniquely British mishap at the airport.
David Beckham Elkatohchoongo – named, of course, after the English soccer legend – revealed dubious immigration officials double-checked his passport at the airport due to their disbelief at his name.
Extraordinarily, David Beckham, 18, rides in India’s cycling team sprint alongside 20-year-old Ronaldo Laitonjam – who is named for the Brazilian football god Ronaldinho.
“When I got to the airport, the (passport) inspector said, ‘Is that really your name, David Beckham? You are lying, you are not David Beckham,” Elkatohchoongo said.
Originally published as Commonwealth Games 2022: Australian 4x200m relay team obliterate world record
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