US Wraps Up Swimming by Setting Two World Records

With eight gold medals, American team edges Australia
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 4, 2024 4:25 PM CDT
US Wraps Up Swimming By Setting Two World Records
Bobby Finke of the US celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's 1500-meter freestyle final at the Summer Olympics in Nanterre, France, on Sunday.   (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

The US set two world records on the final night of swimming at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, winning the gold-medal count over rival Australia and easing the sting of the first loss ever in the men's 4x100-meter medley relay. Bobby Finke set a new standard in the 1,500 freestyle, and the American women closed a thrilling nine days at La Defense Arena with another record in their 4x100 medley relay, the AP reports. Lilly King made up for a disappointing showing in her individual events by powering the Americans to the lead on the breaststroke segment.

Then it was Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske, two of the biggest US stars at the Games, bringing it home in 3 minutes, 49.63 seconds to break the record of 3:50.40 set by the US at the 2019 world championships. Regan Smith led off in the backstroke leg, earning a relay gold for the second night in a row after starting her Olympic career with five silvers and a bronze. Australia, the defending Olympic champion, took the silver this time in 3:53.11. "Just an awesome way to cap off the meet," said King, who joined her teammates in strolling around the deck holding up the stars and stripes as the crowd filed out La Defense Arena, per the AP.

The bronze went to China in 3:53.23. Four world records were set during the meet, per the AP, three of them by the Americans. The US finished with eight gold medals to edge out Australia, which won seven events. Still, it was the lowest victory total for the US team since the 1988 Seoul Games, where a doping-tainted East German program won. The Americans finished with 28 medals overall, two shy of their total three years ago in Tokyo. (More 2024 Paris Olympics stories.)

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