The women's 4×200 metre freestyle relay event and place at the
2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...
took place on 20 September at the
Sydney International Aquatic Centre in
Sydney, Australia.
The U.S. women's team established a new Olympic record to defend their title with the help of a sterling anchor leg from
Jenny Thompson
Jennifer Beth Thompson (born February 26, 1973) is an American former competition swimmer and anesthesiologist.
She is one of the most decorated Olympians in history: twelve medals, including eight gold medals, in the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 200 ...
. Throughout most of the race, the Americans were trailing slightly behind the host nation Australia until Thompson dived into the pool at the final exchange. Thompson held off a sprint battle from
Petria Thomas on the final stretch until she touched the wall by seven-tenths of a second (0.70) with a remarkable split of 1:59.35 to deliver the foursome of
Samantha Arsenault (1:59.92),
Diana Munz
Diana Marie Munz (born June 19, 1982), later known by her married name Diana DePetro, is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic champion from Moreland Hills, Ohio. She represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydn ...
(1:59.19), and
Lindsay Benko (1:59.34) a gold-medal time in 7:57.80. As the Americans celebrated their triumph in the pool, Thompson picked up her ninth career medal to break a tie with former East Germany's
Kristin Otto
Kristin Otto (; born 7 February 1966) is a German Olympic swimming champion. She is most famous for being the first woman to win six gold medals at a single Olympic Games, doing so at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. for the most golds, a total of seven, and to maintain her position as the most successful woman in Olympic history.
After leading three-fourths of the race, Australia's Thomas (2:00.32),
Susie O'Neill (1:58.70),
Giaan Rooney
Giaan Leigh Rooney, OAM (born 15 November 1982) is an Australian former competitive swimmer and television personality. As a member of the Australian team in women's 4×100-metre medley relay, she won an Olympic gold medal and broke a world ...
(1:59.37), and
Kirsten Thomson
Kirsten Thomson (born 27 September 1983) is an Australian middle-distance freestyle swimmer who won a silver medal in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Coming from Sydney, New South Wales, Thomson was still attendin ...
(2:00.13) powered home with a silver in 7:58.52. Meanwhile, Germany's
Franziska van Almsick (1:59.51),
Antje Buschschulte (2:00.35), and
Sara Harstick (2:00.88) helped their teammate
Kerstin Kielgass produce a striking anchor of 1:57.90 to capture the bronze medal in 7:58.64. For the first time in Olympic history, all three teams finished the race under an eight-minute barrier.
Outside the club, Romania's
Camelia Potec (1:59.10),
Simona Păduraru (2:01.52),
Ioana Diaconescu (2:01.47), and
Beatrice Câșlaru (1:59.54) missed the podium with a fourth-place time of 8:01.63, worthy enough for a national record. Canada (8:02.65), Great Britain (8:03.69), Italy (8:04.68), and France (8:05.99) rounded out the championship finale.
[
]
Records
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.
Results
Heats
[
]
Final
References
External links
Official Olympic Report
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Women's 4 by 200 metre freestyle relay
F
4 × 200 metre freestyle relay
2000 in women's swimming
Women's events at the 2000 Summer Olympics