U.S. Swimmers Close Paris 2024 Olympics with Record-Breaking Medley Relay Victory
In a dramatic conclusion to the longest Olympic swim meet in history, the U.S. women’s 4×100-meter medley relay team delivered a record-setting victory, securing the United States’ eighth gold medal and solidifying their position atop the swimming medal standings at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The American quartet—Regan Smith (backstroke), Lilly King (breaststroke), Gretchen Walsh (butterfly), and Torri Huske (freestyle)—blazed through the race in a world record time of 3:49.63, outpacing their Australian rivals, who finished with a silver in 3:53.11. This triumph not only gave Team USA the edge over Australia in the gold medal tally but also capped a meet where the U.S. dominated the overall medal count, winning 28 medals to Australia’s 18.
“It’s great to come out on top of the gold medals and the overall medal standings,” said Team USA women’s coach Todd DeSorbo of the University of Virginia. “A lot of ups and downs but a great meet overall.”
Earlier in the evening, Bobby Finke secured a crucial individual gold for the U.S. men in the 1,500-meter freestyle. Finke’s blistering time of 14:30.67 shattered the previous world record and held off a strong challenge from Italian rival Gregorio Paltrinieri. His victory prevented the U.S. men’s team from leaving Paris without an individual gold medal for the first time in 124 years.
Finke’s swim was especially notable for his extraordinary final 50 meters, which he completed in a stunning 26.27 seconds—a time faster than the final lap of any swimmer in the men’s 200-meter freestyle final, a much shorter and typically faster event.
The U.S. swim team’s performance in Paris was not as dominant as in past Olympics, but they once again proved their resilience and ability to deliver under pressure, ensuring they will carry the crown for another four years until the world gathers again for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
