Brit swimmers make relay history, no medal for USA

Tokyo, July 28: For the first time in more than a century, Britain claimed a relay gold at the Olympic pool.

The United States, shockingly, didn’t even make the podium.

A dynamic quartet carried the British to a dominating victory in the men’s 4x200-meter freestyle relay Wednesday.

Tom Dean, the 200 free gold medalist led off and

200 silver medalist Duncan Scott swam the anchor leg. James Guy now a three-time Olympic medalist and 18year-old Matthew Richards took the middle legs.

“This has been years in the making,” Dean said.

“We’ve been getting stronger and stronger.”

The British just missed the world record with a winning time of 6 minutes, 58.58 seconds.

The Americans set the record at 6:58.55 in rubberized suits at the 2009 world championships in Rome. “We were so close to the world record in the end,” Scott said. “If anything, I’m a bit gutted.”

Imagine how the Americans must’ve been feeling.

For the first time in its proud swimming history, the U.S. failed to win a relay medal when entering an event.

Kieran Smith, Drew Kibler, Zach Apple and Townley Haas finished in 7:03.24, not only far behind Britain but also trailing Russia and Australia, which claimed the silver and bronze respectively.

The result outraged Michael Phelps, who was part of so many winning relay teams during his career and is now at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre as a television commentator.

For the first time in its proud swimming history, the Americans failed to win a relay medal after entering an event.