The 4x100m medley relay is the traditional finale of every swim meet – and it’s also the long-established tradition that the US win it.
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Britain qualified fastest on Friday in the men’s 4×100 meters medley relay, threatening to spoil the party for Michael Phelps when he swims the last race of his epic Olympic career on Saturday.
Bury St Edmunds-raised swimmer Chris Walker-Hebborn helped Team GB to a silver medal in the men’s 4x100m medley relay in Rio this morning.
“We came fourth at the worlds previous year and we said immediately we’d target this”.
While the spotlight was on the 31-year-old, who retired after the 2012 London Games before returning for one last hurrah, the United States women’s 4x100m medley relayers captured their country’s 1,000th Olympic medal.
“A lot of people were slating British swimming but this young talent is coming through and we can take on the world and we’re not scared of anything”.
Britain were sixth following Walker-Hebborn’s backstroke leg, but a blistering breaststroke stint from Peaty – a split time of 56.59 – saw the fastest qualifiers surge into the lead.
“I couldn’t put a better meet together and to come back with a gold and a silver is wonderful to me”.
Phelps overtook Guy on the butterfly leg, handing over to Nathan Adrian, who held off Scott to give Phelps a golden swansong.
“Getting off the bus and walking to the pool tonight, I pretty much felt myself starting to crack”, Phelps said.
“It was absolutely awesome to get that [56.5-second] split”.
“Hopefully that’s a message to the rest of the world in four years time, where James and Duncan will be a lot more mature, a lot more muscle, and hopefully if Chris decides to go on he’ll be a lot faster”, said Peaty, 21.
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Peaty also revealed record breaker Phelps had sought him out to say congratulations for his performances in Brazil. Looking at the TV as a kid you never think you’d impress Michael Phelps with all those golds round his neck.
