James Guy, Tom Dean, Matt Richards and Duncan Scott gave Team GB their first Olympic gold at Paris 2024 as they retained their 4x200m freestyle relay title.
The quartet become the first British relay team to retain an Olympic title in swimming or athletics having won the same event at Tokyo 2020.
Richards had come within two-hundredths of a second of winning the individual event, settling instead for silver, as did Adam Peaty, who lost by an identical margin in the men’s 100m breaststroke.
But there was no need for a photo finish on Tuesday evening as, while Team GB led by just half a second after the final exchange, Scott pulled away on the anchor leg to seal an ultimately comfortable win.
A time of six minutes and 59.43 seconds was 1.35 secs ahead of runners-up the United States while bronze medallists Australia were a further 1.2 seconds back.
Scott’s leg of 1min 43.95 secs was the race’s fastest and would have won him gold in the individual event on Monday, when he finished a disappointing fourth, just 0.08s off bronze and 0.15s off top spot.
In being part of the first Team GB relay team to retain a swimming crown, Scott joined fellow Scot Sir Chris Hoy on seven Olympic medals – only Sir Bradley Wiggins and Sir Jason Kenny have more.
Guy has six – all in relay events – while Dean celebrated his third, all of them gold, with Richards on three as well after Team GB justified their billing as red-hot favourites for top spot.
They have an embarrassment of riches in the 200m distance, so much so that Dean was unable to defend his individual title from Tokyo 2020 after losing it in qualifying to Richards and Scott.
Jack McMillan, who represented Ireland at the last Olympics, and Kieran Bird deputised ably for Richards and Scott in the morning heats as Team GB qualified fastest, nearly half a second quicker than the USA.
They brought back their big guns for the showpiece to bring back together the quartet who won in Tokyo.
Guy, who won a lifetime best in the morning, once again got their noses in front and Dean kept them there despite a wobble mid-swim – where Team GB slipped to fourth at one stage.
Richards then handed over the baton to Scott and he rubber-stamped the win to give Team GB their fourth Gold of these Games.
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In being part of the first swimming team in history to defend an Olympic relay title with the same quartet, Scott joined fellow Scot Sir Chris Hoy on seven Olympic medals – only Sir Bradley Wiggins and Sir Jason Kenny have more.
“I’m nowhere near the level of athlete Chris Hoy has been, I think that’s taking away from what he’s achieved,” said Scott, who has won two golds to Hoy’s six.
“I don’t think I should ever be compared to Sir Chris Hoy. He’s well above what I’ve achieved. It’s pretty cool in terms of numbers but he’s got quite a few better colours than I do.
“I don’t think it will ever make up for (not being able to compete individually),” Dean said. “But that was four months ago and I’ve had four months to get my head round it.
“It feels different because the last three years haven’t been a straight line for anyone – me, Jimmy, Matt, Duncan. There have been a lot of changes but we stepped up again in an Olympic year and that’s what’s really special.”
“It’s a privilege and an honour to be a part of that team with those four boys,” Richards said.
“We are the first team in history in any relay event at the Olympics to defend the title with the same four people and that’s pretty special. Who knows about the other boys but let’s go for the three-peat.”
Guy added: “To be crowned Olympic champions again with the same quartet is pretty special. We will have to do four more years and beat the United States on their home turf (in Los Angeles in 2028).”
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