Aussies touched out of silver in thrilling relay

Australia stormed location to assertion a bronze medal and narrowly missed retired connected metallic arsenic Great Britain flexed their muscles successful the men's 4x200m relay astatine the Tokyo Olympics.

Team GB qualified for the last astir 2 seconds quicker than the Aussies and continued their beardown signifier successful the final, starring from commencement to decorativeness successful a almighty show to instrumentality gold.

OLYMPICS LIVE BLOG: LATEST UPDATES, NEWS | TOKYO GAMES EVENT CENTRE: SCHEDULE, RESULTS, MEDAL TALLY

The Australian squad of Thomas Neill, Zac Incerti, Alexander Graham and Kyle Chalmers were retired of the medals until Neil took to the h2o for the anchor limb but helium precise astir touched successful for metallic aft moving done the tract with a sensational swim.

Alexander Graham, Kyle Chalmers, Zac Incerti and Thomas Neill of Team Australia observe during the medal ceremonial for the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final connected time 5 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Tokyo Aquatics Centre connected July 28, 2021 successful Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) (Getty)

The Aussies were conscionable pipped for 2nd by the Russian Olympic Committee team.

It was the archetypal clip the Brits had won the lawsuit since 1908 but they conscionable missed a satellite record.

With a powerhouse squad that included the 1-2 finishers successful the idiosyncratic 200m freestyle final, Britain blew distant the tract successful 6 minutes, 58.58 seconds. That was conscionable disconnected the satellite grounds acceptable by the Americans (6:58.55) astatine the 2009 satellite championships.

The 200-metre golden medalist, Tom Dean, led disconnected for the British. James Guy and Matthew Richards took the mediate legs earlier 200-metre metallic medalist Duncan Scott swam the anchor leg. It was the archetypal British golden successful the lawsuit since it made its debut astatine the archetypal London Games.

Tom Dean, James Guy and Matthew Richards of Team Great Britain respond arsenic teammate Duncan Scott (not pictured) swims the anchor limb during the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final connected time 5 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Tokyo Aquatics Centre connected July 28, 2021 successful Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) (Getty)

The Australians were successful seventh presumption erstwhile Graham completed his opening swim, but a beardown showing from Chalmers gave them a accidental aft helium registered a ace speedy clip of 1:45.35 to determination them into 4th place.

As the British squad pushed up successful the 3rd leg, the Australians were battling for a medal not acold behind. Neill held Australia's hopes successful the anchor limb and astir grabbed metallic with a ascendant show but touched the partition conscionable 0.03 seconds aboriginal than the Russian Olympic Committee team. Neill swam the fastest clip of the Australians with 1:44.74.

When asked astir the result, Neill channeled 1997 Newcastle Knights premiership victor Matthew Johns, joking: "It's amended than lego."

The four-time defending champion Americans finished 4th - the archetypal clip they've failed to triumph a medal successful the lawsuit different than the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games.

-with AP

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!