AFP
Rio de Janeiro, August 7: Mack Horton won his grudge match against China’s Sun Yang and Australia’s 4x100m free relay women added another gold as records tumbled on day one at the Rio Olympics pool here Saturday.
While it was a triumphant night for Australia, the mighty US team were shut out of gold – coming up with three silvers from the four finals.
Horton clocked 3min 41.55 seconds to hold off a feverish challenge from 2012 gold medallist Sun, who briefly looked to have the Australian beaten on the last lap but had to settle for second in 3:41.68s, an effort that left the Chinese weeping. Italy’s Gabriele Detti roared home in the final 50 metres to capture bronze in 3:43.49s.
Horton, whose mild manner and Harry Potter-style spectacles belie his toughness, said he knew that by calling Sun a dope cheat out he’d put himself on the spot. Sun had served a three-month doping ban in 2014, which the Chinese authorities did not reveal.
“Well that last 50m I was kind of thinking about what I said and was like, if he gets me here it’s not going to look great,” Horton said. “So (I) really didn’t have a choice but to beat him.”
Horton’s victory ensured Australia wouldn’t suffer their ignominious London fate of failing to earn a single individual gold in the pool. But things did get better for Australia as Emma McKeon, Brittany Elmslie, Bronte Campbell and individual world record-holder Cate Campbell won the 4x100m relay in 3:30.65 seconds, lowering the world record of 3:30.98s set by an Aussie squad at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
Hungary’s ‘Iron Lady’ Katinka Hosszu captured the Olympic gold that has long eluded her with a scintillating world record of 4:26.36 seconds in the women’s 400m individual medley. She sliced 2.07s off the previous record of 4:28.43s set by China’s Ye Shiwen in winning gold in London.
Japan’s Kosuke Hagino ended the US stranglehold on the men’s 400m medley gold, holding off American Chase Kalisz with a win in 4:06.05s.
Briton Adam Peaty couldn’t start counting his gold, but made a statement in the first Olympic race of his career with a world record of 57.55s in the 100m breaststroke heats.