Relay thriller delivers gold in the pool

Another iconic race for the history books went down in the World Aquatics Championships Arena as Matt Richards, James Guy, Jack McMillan and Duncan Scott silenced any doubters by resuming Great Britain’s hold on the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle relay world title.

Richards was first out the traps - putting down a strong opening split to assert a lead as he brushed aside any individual racing disappointment - while James Guy followed up with a strong and steady second leg to 150m before hitting the burners down his final return length.

McMillan then set a perfect example of ‘swimming your own race’ under external pressures in the lanes outside him to ensure he placed the baton over to Scott in safe hands. With Great Britain’s most decorated Olympic swimmer in the pool to anchor it home there was no messing about - Scott doing what he has on so many occasions by bringing stretching away down the home straight to secure the gold in style.

“Happy is the right word,” said Guy, who praised the important role Evan Jones and Tom Dean played for the team with their morning heat swims.

“Obviously, winning the gold last year in Paris, and to come here to World Championships and to win the gold again is very, very special. Evan and Deano this morning played their part of the team. But to win that … obviously we won last year, but the gaps got a lot closer. We had people coming in from different directions, attacking us from that's the first leg, or second or fourth. But to hold our own in that kind of environment and to win was very, very nice.”

With Duncan adding:

“You know Jack did a great job because I would say with his 50m to go, I was like, ‘Oh, this is real tight’, and then he just built so well and when other people are tying he took real advantage of that and finished strong, which meant that I could really get on the front foot.

“Yeah, it's really difficult because you know everyone's kind of looking at us and wanting to get on our wave, seeing what moves we make and how we swim it. It's so difficult winning it once so being a bit able to do it back-to-back I think we need to be really proud of that and that’s another a great swim for us.”

In Britain’s two other finals of the night Angharad Evans placed fifth in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke, while Luke Greenbank finished eighth in the Men’s 200m Backstroke.

Evans, putting together a brave swim in her maiden world championship final was pushing hard for a medal but was just edged out in the closing metres. Afterwards she said:

“I enjoyed racing, it was always going to be a tough race with Kate [Douglass] in there but then it was so tight down from that bronze medal position – so fifth is not bad for my first world championships and a first 200m Breaststroke at a major championship meet. I’m so proud of myself but there’s much more to come in that event.”

In his fifth world championships representing Great Britain in the 200m Backstroke, Greenbank was ‘disappointed in the outcome’ but was pleased to be in the finals once again.

“I knew I had to go out for it, that was the gameplan,” he said.

“It’s good be back in the world finals, I haven’t been here for a few years so I think I’m heading in the right direction and hopefully we can build on this next year.”

Across the semi-finals on Friday night, Ben Proud progressed nicely through his Men’s 50m Freestyle to ensure lane for the blue ribbon sprint event medal showdown, while debutants Holly McGill and Ed Mildred put in positive displays to respectively finish 10th in the Women’s 200m Backstroke and 15th in the Men’s 100m Butterfly.

Stream live free-to-air coverage of the World Aquatics Championships 2025 taking place in Singapore at www.aquaticsgb.com/live.

Friday 1st August Swimming results

• Men’s 100m Butterfly: Ed Mildred – 15th overall
• Women’s 200m Backstroke: Holly McGill – 10th overall, Katie Shanahan – Withdrew after qualification from heats
• Men’s 50m Freestyle: Ben Proud – 6th into final, Jacob Mills – 28th overall
• Men’s 200m Backstroke: Luke Greenbank – 8th overall
• Women’s 200m Breaststroke: Angharad Evans – 5th overall
• Men’s 4x200m Freestyle: Matt Richards, James Guy, Jack McMillan, Duncan Scott, Evan Jones and Tom Dean – GOLD

Extended results available on the World Aquatics website here.