This is complete race footage of the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay championship final at the 2013 FINA World Championships courtesy of swimswam partner Universal Sports Network.
See 4×100 free race coverage as reported by swimswam editor-in-chief, Braden Keith:
And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better: the men’s 400 free relay was just as exciting as the women’s, only double because there were four teams in at the touch instead of just two.
The focus in the run-up to this meet was on the Americans versus the Australians, then the last month since the World University Games the Russians stuck their noses in the mix, while the French fell by the wayside after troubles with Agnels health, among other things.
Well, wouldn’t you know it: it was the French who came in and surprised everyone (that’s going to be ugly on our Pick ‘Em contest) and took the gold, going from 4th to 1st on their last leg, much in the manner that they did at the Olympics last year.
Only this time, it was their newest star Jeremy Stravius, who closed in 47.59, that overcame the tidal wave ahead of him. He was joined with Fabien Gilot, who was surprisingly the only swimmer under 47 seconds, going 46.90 on France’s 3rd leg to really claw them back into the battle.
The really story, though, was perhaps the lead-off legs. France only got a 48.76 from Agnel; Australia only got a 48.00 from James Magnussen, and the Americans got only a 47.95 from Olympic Champion Nathan Adrian in 47.95. That wasn’t exactly the rock-and-roll beginning we expected to this race.
Ultimately, the French won in 3:11.18, the Americans were 2nd in 3:11.42, and the Russians took 3rd in 3:11.44 (with a 47.40 third leg from Morozov). The Russians, with their swim from the World University Games, will end the long course season as the fastest 400 free relay in the world, they just couldn’t duplicate that three-ten-eighty-eight at this meet.
Australia was left off of the big podium for the second straight year, going 3:11.58 for 4th. Those top three teams were separated by only four-tenths of a second, and the Australians still got a very good leg from Cameron McEvoy in 47.44.
Italy took 5th in 3:12.62, with a 47.25 from Marco Orsi; Germany was 6th; a Cielo-less Brazil was 7th with a 47.56 anchor from Marcelo Chierighini, and Japan was 8th.