4 x 100 metres Medley Relay, Women

Swimming World predicted the podium as Australia, USA, China, but the American swimmers, and especially the American women, had been on fire in Rio. In the final, the USA started out slowly, only in fourth after the backstroke leg, and then trailing Russia after the second leg. Dana Vollmer’s butterfly leg of 56.00 put the Americans over one second ahead at the anchor exchange, with Denmark second, Russia third, China fourth, and Australia back in sixth. The anchor leg matched Simone Manuel for the USA, the 100 freestyle co-gold medalist, Cate Campbell for Australia, the top female sprinter for most of the year, but one who had disappointed in Rio, and Pernille Blume for Denmark, the 50 freestyle gold medalist. Campbell swam the fastest anchor, in 52.17, which brought Australia to the silver medal position, but they were far behind the Americans, who won gold by 1.87 seconds. Blume held on to get bronze for Denmark.