McKeon, Campbells, gone, but Australia still dominates in the 4x100m women’s relay

The USA might have sensed an opportunity when Emma McKeon and the Campbell sisters left, but the new generation have reminded the world how Australia sets the standard.

Just when the Americans thought it was safe to get back in the water, Australia’s golden girls have just gone and reminded them why they still set the standard.

They don’t always get the credit they deserve because they win so often, but the Australian women’s 4x100m freestyle really is one of the most phenomenal sporting teams in the country.

No matter who they put in their team, or who they swim against, they remain invincible, as they proved again by winning gold at the world championships in Singapore.

After more than a decade of global domination, their stunning win in southeast Asia shouldn’t have come as a surprise but it did, mainly because the US were convinced they had the team to knock the Aussies off, and the Dolphins were missing so many of their star performers.

Emma McKeon, Bronte Campbell and Cate Campbell, pictured celebrating Olympic gold in Tokyo, were the backbone of the women’s 4x100m team for years. Picture: Getty Images

The backbone of the team for years, Emma McKeon and the Campbell sisters Cate and Bronte were all missing.

McKeon retired after last year’s Paris Games while Tokyo flagbearer Cate bid a teary farewell to the sport after missing selection to what would have been her fifth Olympics in the French capital.

Bronte hasn’t said whether she’s retiring or going again but she hasn’t raced or trained in a year. Another big gun Shayna Jack was also absent.

Australia’s new-look 4x100m gold medal-winning team of Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Olivia Wunsch and Milla Jansen.

With the changing of the guard, no one would have batted an eyelid if the Dolphins got beaten for once. But that’s not how they roll.

The next wave of young stars just stepped on the blocks and struck gold again.

Like an endless production line of talent, this new crop of Aussie swim stars looks just as fast and hungry as the legends they replaced.

There’s still a lot of water to flow under the bridge but already it looks like it will take a mighty effort for any country to beat the Aussies at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles or at Brisbane four years later.

The success of Australian female sprint swimming stems from the team’s ability to rinse and repeat. Whenever someone retires, there’s always another ready-made swimmer to take their place as they showed in Singapore.

New generation, same domination: Australia’s record in female sprinting is phenomenal

Of the four members that raced in the final, the oldest, Meg Harris, is just 23, but she already has a wealth of experience beyond her years.

She’s won gold at the last two Olympics and has five world championship gold medals.

“This is the start of the next three years,” Harris said.

“The start of Los Angeles and these girls coming through are going to be the future of the sport, especially going into Brisbane as well.”

Mollie O’Callaghan is two years younger and has even more medals in her trophy cabinet. Just 21, she already has five Olympic gold medals and nine world championship golds and is really only just getting started.

Mollie

“I think it’s amazing, we have a pretty rookie-dominated team at the moment, so it’s nice to see the younger swimmers lift up,” O’Callaghan said.

“After the Olympics, we had a lot of people take breaks and retire, and it’s great to see (the new athletes) getting the experience and putting down so much effort and determination into this meet.”

“This year it was a bit of a difficult run, coming off the Olympics it’s always an unknown, we’ve got a fresh team.

“But the depth that we have in the women coming through is just so inspiring, and to know that we’re in a strong position for Los Angeles is very nice to know. We all challenge each other at the end of the day so we can keep going.”

Australia won godl in both the men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relays. Picture: AFP

Olivia Wunsch, 19, and Milla Jansen, 18, are the latest, bright newcomers to the 4x100m team.

Two years ago, they were team mates at the junior world championships, helping Australia win gold in the relay (of course), and they have seamlessly graduated to the senior team.

These are exciting times for the Dolphins.

Despite being in the early stages of building towards LA, the future already looks bright.

Wunsch got a taste of what’s ahead for her when she got herself an Olympic gold medal after swimming the relay heats in Paris but this was her first world championship gold.

Born and raised in Sydney, she has been tipped to become one of Australian swimming’s next big stars.

“We’ve all challenged each other through the age group ranks, so it’s really special for us to be able to stand together and share this moment,” Wunsch said.

“It’s really exciting that this is the start of the next block and this is our starting point.”

Jansen is another swimmer whose star is rising and slotted into the team without a ripple.

A year younger than Wunsch, she trains on the Gold Coast under Chris Mooney, who trained Kaylee McKeown when she won three gold medals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

“We’ve kind of grown up together, and it’s amazing we’re in this relay together since we’ve always dreamed about it,” she said.

Originally published as McKeon, Campbells, gone, but Australia still dominates in the 4x100m women’s relay