Chalmers Splits 20.34 Anchor as Australia Squeezes by Italy in 4x50m  Free Relay

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A joyous crowd left with the night's biggest thrill on the closing act of Day 3 from the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre. With Australia trailing the Italians after Thomas Ceccon's brilliant 20.67 third-leg, Kyle Chalmers made it a golden two-for-two, as his final leg of 20.34 just nipped the Italian foursome anchored by Manuel Frigo by 4/100ths of a second, 1:23.44 to 1:23.48.  

Team Australia's Matt Temple: 

"I think that's one of the best experiences I've ever had. Were coming out World Champions with our families in the crowd. I'm speechless."
By Matt Temple

Fellow teammate Flynn Southam: 

"It's just pretty crazy me you know, being 17, getting to do it with some good boys and Kyle's kind of like the leader of the team and he's got the experience. I mean, that definitely hasn't sunk in yet [that we are World Champions]. But I mean, the job's not finished. We got to go home and prepare for tomorrow and the rest of the meet so you can celebrate laughter."
By Flynn Southam

And some final words of the night from Kyle: 

"This was quite special. For me I much prefer relay success than individual success. I think you know we have such an amazing female side of the Australian swimming team and the boys probably we haven't had a huge amount of success in relays that we've we've been there kind of the bridesmaid in third position a few times but to stand on top of the podium have the Australian anthem with my best mates is something special. This ranks up there massively in my career highlights."
By Kyle Chalmers

USA's Douglass Denies Australia's Late Bid for 4x50m Free Relay Gold 

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Anchoring Team USA with a .37-second advantage over Emma McKeon, Kate Douglass made sure the Australians didn't get much closer with her 22.77 final leg. While McKeon did post the race's fastest split - 22.73 - it wasn't enough this time around.

The American quartet's time of 1:23.44 was both a new Championship and USA Record. Australia finished in 1:34.23 as the Netherlands took bronze in 1:35.36. 

Talking with Team USA on their performance in the Women's 4x50m Free Relay 

TORRI HUSKE: I was really excited to lead off the relay.  I knew that these ladies would bring it home. I was trying to set them up for the rest of the race and they did just that.

CLAIRE CURZAN: It's always a proud moment to win gold for Team USA.  With these women it's just awesome!

ERIKA BROWN: I always have a blast racing for Team USA and I think this is a great group of girls.  I am just happy we were able to encourage each other and feed off each other's energy.

KATE DOUGLASS: That was such an exciting race.  The crowd at the end was going wild and I think that really got me excited to finish off that last 50 for us.

USA's Banner Day Continues with Kieran Smith's 400m Free Gold

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The 22-year-old led wire-to-wire to win in 3:34.38, setting a new American Record in the 400m Freestyle along the way. Australia's Thomas Neill wasn't far behind in 3:35.08 (+.67) as Lithuania's Danas Rapsys completed the podium in 3:36.28. 

Kieran on where he had to take himself mentally and physically to bring it home for the win: 

"You could tell from my face at the finish that my body was burning. I always like to swim races from the front, it's the way I swim confidently. I knew that I had to pay the ultimate price in order to win."
By Kieran Smith

Local Victoria-born Mack Horton finished sixth, +3.56 from the American's top time.  

Calm & Collected Nic Fink Adds Individual Gold with 100m Breaststroke win

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The lane lines in Melbourne are getting a workout with all the victory celebrations on a top-notch night of racing. 

Nic Fink is now firmly the cream of the best breaststroke crop. With tonight win, the 29-year-old now has won titles at both the long course and short course FINA World Championships in 2022, all while taking graduate engineering courses.

Nic's secret? Listening to his longtime girlfriend Melanie Margalis who told him:  ‘Yo dude you need to learn how to relax.’ 

It's working. 

Lilly King Likes Rivalries, Loves Winning Even More

The Indiana, USA native added her fifth FINA World Championship title in the 25m pool to the 10 she has in long course tonight, winning the Women's 100m Breastroke Final in 1:02.67.

Tes Schouten of the Netherlands took silver in 1:03.90 while Germany's Anna Elendt earned bronze in 1:04.05.

The resurgent London 2012 Olympic Champion Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania was disqualified. The infraction was for making more than one butterfly kick prior to the first breaststroke kick at the start. 

Father & Son

Chad le Clos 2.0 Travels to Land of Oz, Takes 200m Fly in Continental Record Time

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Chad le Clos closed in a 13.82 last 25m to take the win in 1:48.27. The South African adds to his medal tally, bringing him that much closer to the all-time individual medal mark. Ryan Lochte tops the list with 24 podiums; Le Clos now has 19.

Japan's Daiya Seto went 1:49.22 for silver followed by Switzerland's Noe Ponti in third in 1:49.42. 

Chad likes the 200m Fly: 

After this over-decade run of success, one could tell this one in Melbourne really meant something special to Chad: 

"I am just so grateful that I have my coach behind me. I am coming from such a tough place right now, and I am sorry that I am emotional. To be a world champion is like a dream come true again."
By Chad le Clos

Good things come to those that don't just wait, but fight and find new reserves of hope and resolve: 

"I have been waiting so long for this moment. I have been waiting four years to become world champion again. It comes after defeat after defeat. Tonight I had to fight back against defeat. Thank you to my coach and thank you to my team."
By Chad le Clos

USA's Dakota Luther & Hali Flickinger Go 1-2 in the Women's 200m Butterfly

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"It's crazy. I just wanted to put myself into that race." - Dakota Luther

Luther added to her international victory tally in a big way by taking this title. The two-time World University Games champion from Napoli 2019 won in 2:03.37, followed by her American compatriot Hali Flickinger in 2:03.78. Australia kept the medals haul going with Elizabeth Dekkers taking bronze in 2:03.94.

'King Kyle' Chalmers Impresses at Home

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"I dreamt of doing this as a kid."

Jordan Crooks of the Cayman Islands might have had the early lead, but Kyle Chalmers left no doubt about it to win the Men's 100m Freestyle final with the short course World Record holder now adding the event's Championship Record (45.16) to his list of palmares. Fastest qualifier Maxime Grousset earned silver for France in 45.41, followed by Italy's Alessandro Miressi in 45.57.

David Popovici improved upon the World Junior Record he set in the semis, with his 45.64 just off the podium for fourth. Also etching his name into the record books was China's Zhanle Pan with a new Asian Record. His 45.77 tied with Crooks for 6th place. 

One year from the day Chalmers had shoulder surgery,  an injury that the Aussie said could have ended his career. Here's Kyle: 

"Everyone faces challenges in their swimming career and it's about people who can rise above those challenges and continue to find ways to win. I had to pull out of the last three world short course championships due to and injuries and health issues. So for me to finally make it one and to stand on the top of the podium is something I am going to remember for the rest of my life. It’s one year to the day since I had shoulder surgery which almost potentially ended my career so for me to be back and standing on top of the podium is very special."
By Kyle Chalmers

Emma McKeon Continues the Aussie Golden Run

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The 28-year-old from Wollongong pulled ahead from midway leader Siobhan Haughey (HKG) to win in a new Championship Record time of 50.77. The defending event champion and former CR-holder Haughey finished just 1/10th later in 50.87 as Marrit Steenbergen  of the Netherlands completed the fastest women's race of the week in 51.25. 

So Emma, how was that?  

"That was way too close. It was a tight finish but what counts is getting your hand on the wall first, that's everything."
By Emma McKeon

McKeon on feeling pressure for the first time - but that it was of the pleasant variety:

"My family are in the stands tonight including both of my grandparents who don't get to see that many of my meets, I think its the first time since the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. I wanted to win for them as well. My grandparents, my parents and my brother have been my biggest supporters. I could always here them I actually feel like this is the first time that I have felt a little pressure, but maybe that’s because some many came to watch. It's a different kind of pressure, but one that I have enjoyed."
By Emma McKeon

Haughey might have been dethroned, but she went faster than she did last year in Abu Dhabi when she set the previous Championship-best of 50.98. Haughey's mood post-race could only be described as buoyant:

"It felt pretty good. Faster than my winning time from last year, so I'm happy with that. Obviously I would love a best time, but it's only 0.08 off my personal best, so now I’m pretty hopeful about the 200m Freestyle. My plan was to feel strong in the first 50m, but not go too fast. So I think I executed that. My main target for the meet is the 200m Freestyle, so that’s my focus now. It’s my favourite event and always my best event. So I'm excited for that. Thank you."
By Siobhan Haughey

Straight Talk from Tonight's Competitors

 

The Men's 100m Freestyle Final is One Can't-Miss Match-up from Melbourne

We got ya: Here's where you can watch the Day 3 Finals: