Can Sienna Toohey Help Australia Contend in Women’s Medley Relay?
Over the last decade, the United States has dominated the women’s 400 medley relay. The streak started at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as the team of Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Dana Vollmer and Simone Manuel stormed to gold. A year later, Kelsi Dahlia took over the butterfly leg as the American women set a world record on the way to a world title. The record fell again at the 2019 World Championships, a third time at the Paris Olympics and finally at last year’s World Championships, with Regan Smith, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske comprising the squad on the latter occasion
In eight global long course competitions over that span, the Americans have won gold seven times. The lone exception was the Tokyo Olympic final in 2021 when Australia’s Cate Campbell overtook American Abbey Weitzeil on the anchor leg to win gold by 0.13.
In that race, the X-factor was the breaststroke leg. The Americans had Lydia Jacoby, the Olympic champion in the 100 breast, while no Australian woman had reached the final. But in relay action, Chelsea Hodges managed to split 1:05.57, a second quicker than her time in the individual event and just a half-second behind Jacoby. That leg made the difference, putting Emma McKeon and Campbell in position to close down the American team and secure gold.
Since then, Australia has continued to struggle mightily compared to the rest of the world on breaststroke. Australia won medley relay silver in Paris, but only thanks to McKeon and Mollie O’Callaghan overcoming a huge halfway deficit after Jenna Strauch split 1:07.31 on breaststroke, second-slowest in the field. Last year’s World Championships brought only marginally better results, with Ella Ramsay going 1:06.49 on her split. Once again, that was second-slowest in the field, but not by as big a margin, allowing Australia to cruise to silver.
Sienna Toohey after her 100 breaststroke victory at Australian Trials — Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr / Swimming Australia
Perhaps now Australia has hope for big improvement on the breaststroke leg thanks to Sienna Toohey, the teenager who became the third-quickest Australian ever in her win Tuesday at the Australian Trials. Toohey, 17, finished 22nd in the event at last year’s World Championships, her international debut. Now, Toohey has broken through with a time of 1:05.97, behind only Olympic champion Leisel Jones and Sarah Katsoulis all-time in her country.
A time in the 1:05 range is quicker than Australia has gotten on a medley relay since that last victory five years ago. That’s still a long way from the 1:04.27 Douglass swam for the United States last year, but Douglass’ flat-start best time stands at 1:05.27, only seven tenths ahead of Toohey. Australia would gladly sign up for a deficit of only seven tenths when matched up with the United States later this summer at the Pan Pacific Championships.
The Aussies have three-quarters of an elite relay. Backstroke world-record holder Kaylee McKeown has had the leadoff leg on lockdown for years, and O’Callaghan has won two world titles in the 100 free in her career. McKeon’s retirement left a big gap, but Alex Perkins has filled in nicely, following up her World Championship bronze in the 100 fly with a 56.26 split last year. Now, Toohey’s improvement and youth gives Australia hope of putting a scare into the dominant American team.