Commonwealth Games: Australia sets new world record in 4x100 metres freestyle relay
Updated
As the tension built with every stroke Cate Campbell made while anchoring Australia to a world record in the women's 4x100 metres freestyle, her teammate Shayna Jack realised this was not the most nerve-racking she had found herself during the opening day of the Commonwealth Games.
That moment had come earlier on Thursday when she contested a cut-throat 'swim off' to see who joined Campbell and her sister Bronte, and Emma McKeon in the Australian quartet for the final.
Jack was given the nod to swim the lead-off leg and it was not lost on the 19-year-old, after completing a lap of honour with her more senior teammates in front of a frenzied crowd in Southport, that she may have missed the opportunity to be a part of swimming history.
"I knew I had to swim a certain time to get that spot and that's all I've ever wanted in my sport," said Jack, who trains with the Campbell sisters under coach Simon Cusack.
"I was ecstatic to be on that team and to come away with a world record I honestly have no words for it."
For the Campbell sisters and McKeon this is not the first time they have been a part of a world-record relay squad.
All three helped Australia post a time of 3:30.98 at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, before setting a new world mark of 3:30.65 at the Rio Olympics two years later.
This time around they lowered their record to 3:30.05, with Cate Campbell reflecting that achieving such a feat always felt significant.
"This is the stuff of dreams and to have that [become] a reality will be something I never take for granted ever again," Campbell said.
"I think as perfectionists we can always look for the next thing and we don't stop and appreciate the incredible moments when they happen and this is one of those rare incredible moments."
Campbell's role in the world record cannot be understated after she produced a breathtaking split of 51.00 seconds for the final leg.
Nor can it be ignored that she was missing from Australia's squad who finished second to the United States at last year's world championships in Budapest while she took a sabbatical for most of the year during the post-Olympic season.
Campbell hit the water 0.37 off world record place on Thursday night and made the turn at the 350-metre-mark just 0.11 behind.
A barnstorming final lap, cheered on by a crowd who knew a world record was on the cards, saw Campbell touch the wall over half a second under the previous benchmark.
"I'm going to make sure I stop and take a couple of breaths and realise how special this moment is because not many people get to experience it," she said.
Aussies feed off energy of home crowd
Bronte Campbell, who had propelled Australia into world record territory on the second leg, admitted she had not been expecting such a performance.
She praised the support of the Southport crowd, believing they had a massive part to play in the history-making moment.
"I don't know how that happened but I think there is something to be said for home crowd advantage," the younger Campbell sister said.
"We've never had that before and now we can see what that does for us."
The relay finished off a busy night for McKeon, who also won her 100m butterfly semi-final less than 20 minutes earlier and placed third in the 200m freestyle final.
McKeon, who had been troubled by a shoulder injury during the Games build-up, was disappointed with her display in the 200m freestyle but was buoyed to end the evening on such a high note.
"To finish the night with a world record, you can't ask for anything more. It's amazing," McKeon said.
Sleep was on the agenda for McKeon, who has the 100m butterfly final coming up on Friday as she continues her arduous six-event program.
But Jack was not expecting any shut-eye upon returning to the athletes' village, after her earlier nerves were replaced by sheer elation in the wake of the world record-breaking night.
"I probably won't sleep tonight at all, because I'm so excited," she said.
Topics: commonwealth-games, sport, swimming, qld
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