Mollie O’Callaghan took out the women’s 100m freestyle final at the Australian swimming trials on Friday night in a solid time of 52.87 seconds, the fifth-fastest in the world this year.
But analyse the results of the race a little deeper and it’s clear that Australian swimming’s most bankable gold medal is suddenly in danger of being stolen at next month’s world championships in Singapore.
Australia’s women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team has been nothing short of extraordinary in recent years. Their dominance has been unrivalled.
Australia have held the world record since 2014 and won Olympic gold in London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024.
Superstars of the pool have graced Australia’s 4x100m relay team. The likes of Cate Campbell, Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon, Madi Wilson, Meg Harris and Shayna Jack have been mainstays as Australia clinched gold medal after gold medal, leaving the Americans in their wake.
The USA are desperate for revenge and they could very well get it on the night of July 27 at the Singapore Sports Hub.
From left to right: Emma Mckeon, Meg Harris, Shayna Jack and Mollie O’Callaghan of Australia celebrate their 4x100m freestyle gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Credit: Ashley Landis
The retirements of the Campbell sisters and McKeon have left a big hole in the 4x100m freestyle team, which hasn’t lost an international final since the 2017 world championships.
Australia’s top swimmers generally have a lighter year after the Olympics and Shayna Jack, a member of Australia’s victorious 4x100m freestyle team in Paris, is a case in point.
Mollie O’Callaghan at the Australian swimming trials in Adelaide. Credit: Getty Images
After finishing fifth in the 100m freestyle Olympic final less than a year ago, Jack faded to finish a disappointing eighth in Friday night’s Australian final in a time of 54.03, well outside her personal best of 52.28 from 2023.
Jack, who recently appeared on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! will need to finish top two in the 50m freestyle on Saturday to make the world championships team.
“I’m going in with a smile on my face,” Jack said on Channel Nine before Friday’s final. “I want to be part of that but I’m not putting that pressure on myself.”
Behind O’Callaghan was Olivia Wunsch (53.38), Alex Perkins (53.53) and Abbey Webb (53.83). Harris was the fastest heat swimmer but pulled out of the final to focus on the 50m freestyle.
If O’Callaghan, a world champion in 2023, had raced at the US trials earlier this month, she would not have finished on the podium.
Torri Huske (52.43), Gretchen Walsh (52.78) and Simone Manuel (52.83) were all quicker, with Kate Douglass not far behind in 53.16 — all impressive times.
Adding the top four times up across finals at both trials, the USA would be 2.41 seconds faster than Australia on paper, based on flat starts.
Even if you swapped in Harris’ heat time, Australia would still be 1.59 seconds behind the USA, without factoring in starts or changeovers.
Both men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relays are held on the first night of world championships.
When Australia wins, team members say it sets a tone for the rest of the week.
If Australia were beaten by the USA, it would be a major surprise given how dominant the Dolphins have been for the best part of a decade.
Australia edged the USA by 1.28 seconds in the event in Paris last year. When Australia last broke the world record in 2023, they smashed the USA by 3.97 seconds.
This time, it’ll be much closer.
“I’ve got to be a little bit nicer to myself with the lead-up that I’ve had to this point,” O’Callaghan said after her win. “I’m pretty proud of these ladies that they could show up, especially the younger one … and fill in the roles of the older girls who’ve retired.”
Campbell, in commentary for Nine, mentioned several times that this team was building to LA2028.
“We are going to have to be patient while we blood some young athletes,” Campbell said.
Four of the eight finalists on Friday night were teenagers. The talent is there, but whether any can emulate the likes of Campbell, McKeon or O’Callaghan remains to be seen as the grind of an Olympic cycle takes shape.
