BRITAIN struck relay gold as the 4x200m freestyle squad defended their Olympic crown with clinical dominance.
James Guy, Tom Dean, Matt Richards and Duncan Scott put in a brilliant performance as they showed why they were the “banker” Team GB gold of the Games.
It was exceptional from all four as they crushed the USA, easing home 1.35 seconds clear with Australia in bronze.
For Scott, on the anchor leg, it was a magnificent seventh Games medal and second gold as he made amends for missing out on the individual podium on Monday night.
Richards now has gold and silver from Paris while Dean has three Olympic gold medals in his collection after doubling up in Tokyo and Guy has two gold and a silver from his three 4x200m Games appearances.
There was no doubt about where this one was going, either – just as Team GB bosses had hoped and expected.
In Tokyo, Dean had led off but Guy, who set a personal best for the distance in the morning heat, was first to go this time.
The Bury-born Guy, Scott’s team-mate in Rio, did exactly what was required, taking charge on the second leg and handing over in first place.
For a while, as Dean dropped down to fourth with 50 metres to go, things looked slightly dicey.
But the Maidenhead man was playing with his rivals and eased through the gears to touch half a second ahead of the USA.
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Richards, who earlier in the evening had missed out on a place in the 100m final, retained that lead to put Scott in command.
No problem. The Glaswegian, Britain’s most successful Olympic swimmer in terms of medals, was nearly 2m clear with two lengths left.
He was never going to relinquish that, going further clear with every stroke until he was able to ease up, sparking scenes of delight and celebration from his teammates and the British fans.
Earlier, Leeds-born Daniel Wiffen, who chose to represent Ireland after living there from the age of two, had beaten GB to a first individual gold in the 800m freestyle as he crushed the Olympic record.
The world champion surrendered the lead with 200m left but reeled in Italy’s Gregoria Patrinieri on the last length, with America’s Bobby Finke touched into second in a blanket finish, for Ireland’s first swim gold since Michelle Smith in 1996.
Wiffen said: “It definitely was the way I wanted to execute it. Not the time that I wanted but the Olympic finals aren’t about the time. They’re about getting your hand on the wall first.”
