Australia Wins 800 Freestyle Relay Gold; Mollie O’Callaghan Holds Off a Determined Katie Ledecky in Classic Relay Shootout
Olympic and world champion Mollie O’Callaghan held off a spirited challenge from U.S. legend Katie Ledecky to anchor Australia to a memorable victory in an exciting women’s 4×200 freestyle relay duel on Night Five of the World Championships in Singapore.
After three neck-and-neck legs, it all came down to the final strokes of the final lap – Australia’s 21-year-old new age champion O’Callaghan vs. the 28-year-old greatest freestyler in swimming history.
Four enthralling laps with Ledecky pushed O’Callaghan to the very end, with Australia taking the gold by .65 – clocking 7:39.35 to the USA’s new American-record time of 7:40.01. China claimed the bronze in 7:42.99.
COOL DUEL: Katie Ledecky and Mollie O’Callaghan at the end of the 800m freestyle relay.
O’Callaghan, the 200m individual winner from last night, backed up after a 100m semifinal win earlier in the evening by turning her powerful kick. She split 1:53.44 with Ledecky, who has been on four World Championships winning relay teams, clocking a sizzling 1:53.71. O’Callaghan’s personal coach, Dean Boxall, also the relay coach, told his charge after the race: “Great job…backing up!”
Ledecky was all smiles as she congratulated an exhausted O’Callaghan, both women pushing it to the limit in one of the great relay shootouts.
Australia led off with Paris relay golden girl and 1500m freestyle bronze medal winner here, Lani Pallister, who clocked a personal best of 1:54.77, touching just ahead of U.S. teen and Paris relay silver medallist Claire Weinstein (1.54.83). Weinstein was third in last night’s 200m behind O’Callaghan after illness forced her out of the 400m.
U.S. newcomer Anna Peplowski (1:54.75) sent the Americans into the lead against Australia’s Paris heat swimmer Jamie Perkins (1:55.13). The third leg saw Erin Gemmell (1:56.72) take off through the first 150m until Australia’s rookie Brittany Castelluzzo produced a barnstorming finish, splitting 1:56.01, to give the Dolphins a narrow lead.
The US team celebrate silver in the 800m freestyle relay Photo Courtesy: Emily Cameron
And it was O’Callaghan who was pushed every stroke by the never-say-die Ledecky. The young Australian powered to the wall to give Australia its fifth gold medal of the meet, O’Callaghan’s second gold and her 11th World Championships gold – tied with Australia’s Olympic legend Ian Thorpe for the most World Championships gold medals by an Australian.
O’Callaghan was the only survivor from the victorious World Championships team from 2023 that set the world record (with Ariarne Titmus, Shayna Jack and Brianna Throssell) and along with Pallister, the two survivors from the Paris gold medal team. Perkins and Castelluzzo came in for Titmus and the now retired Throssell.
And it was Pallister behind the blocks who made sure O’Callaghan knew who she was as she prepared to take off.
“When you’ve (been) the former world record holder, and you’ve won the World Championship the day before, going in I was pretty much saying to Mollie, ‘Do you know who you are?’ ‘Do you know who you are?” shouted Pallister, who graduated from a heat swimmer from 2023 Worlds into the starting four for the Paris Olympic gold last year.
“Even in my mind, as soon as Mollie dives in, I know we’ve won it. I have so much confidence in her and her abilities and seeing her do her thing in the 200m is always so wicked. So having her anchor was the best thing for our confidence, really.”
REBEL YELL: The moment Lani Pallister shouted Do you know who you are?’ before Mollie O’Callaghan took to the water, holding off Katie Ledecky to anchor the Dolphins to gold over the USA in the 800m freestyle relay. Photo-Courtesy-Delly-Carr-(Swimming-Australia).
YEAH YEAH: Aussie relay swimmers Lani Pallister, Jamie Perkins and Brittany Castelluzzo welcome home Mollie O for their 800m freestyle relay gold medal. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Pallister said leading off she felt a fair bit of pressure just to do her part for the relay.
“I think having swum my best time in the 400m, I’m really happy with swimming (another) PB…. just getting up and doing my part for the girls and that relay was all I wanted from tonight and having (relay coach) Dean Boxall let me do the lead-off was just what I wanted.
“I knew it would be pretty hot, but all of us have a thing for relays.
“It’s Jamie’s first World Championships gold medal as well, it’s really special to be here with the girls and just doing it for our country.”
Castelluzzo, from South Australia’s Tea Tree Gully Swim Club, is on her first Open Team and the relay has more than made up for her missing the 200m butterfly final by one place. She knew she had to focus on herself and her own race plan.
“That’s something that is super important in relays, but I know my back end is my strength, so I was just trying to keep calm and then have fun,” said Castelluzzo.
“When we touched in front and Mollie’s our anchor leg, you know, I was quietly confident and obviously she had a big night tonight, but we all had faith in her.
“Obviously, all the rest of the girls setting us up pretty well. It was really exciting.
“Without Arnie (Ariarne Titmus) there were big shoes to fill.
“Being a Dolphin and representing Australia is always a really big honour, so winning gold for Australia it’s very exciting.”
After the race the four Australian women walked arm-in-arm around the pool deck, draped in the Australian flag – Pallister and Perkins propping up O’Callaghan, her legs a little wobbly. That’s what happens after being chased down the pool by the one and only Katie Ledecky.
SELFIE TIME IN SINGAPORE: Australia’s 800m freestyle relay team pose for a podium selfie. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
