Team USA clinched its first gold medal at the Paris Olympics with an impressive display in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
The team, comprising Caeleb Dressel, Hunter Armstrong, Chris Guiliano, and Jack Alexy, surged ahead of their Australian counterparts to secure victory in 3:09.28 during the thrilling finale of a lively opening night at the La Defense Arena.
Australia finished with the silver medal, clocking in at 3:10.35, while Italy earned bronze with a time of 3:10.70.
Dressel achieved his eighth Olympic gold medal by anchoring the team to its second consecutive 4x100m freestyle title.
Matt King and Ryan Held participated in the morning heats but were replaced by Alexy and Giuliano for the final. Both King and Held will also receive gold medals.
The USA men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team achieved the nation’s first gold medal in Paris.
Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, and Caeleb Dressel celebrate their victory.
Dressel secured his eighth career Olympic gold medal by anchoring the team.
This remarkable achievement followed Katie Ledecky’s bronze medal performance in the women’s 400m freestyle, where Ariarne Titmus claimed gold once more.
The Australian successfully defended her Tokyo title in a contest dubbed the ‘Race of the Century,’ leading from start to finish.
Ledecky not only lost to Titmus but also missed out on silver as Canadian rising star Summer McIntosh earned her first Olympic medal.
Fans eagerly anticipated this intense three-way race, with all three competitors having held the world record over the past three years.
In the highly anticipated final, ‘Terminator’ Titmus, hailing from Tasmania, registered a time of 3 minutes and 57.49 seconds, followed by McIntosh at 3:58.37 and Ledecky at 4:00.86.
