Aussie 4x50m freestyle swimmers take gold
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Australia have won gold in the mixed 4x50m freestyle on the last day of the short-course World Cup in Beijing.
The Aussies have already set four world records this World Cup in the mixed 4x50m medley relay, but it was the turn of the freestyle swimmers to shine at the Watercube National Aquatic Centre on Thursday night.
The team of Tommaso D’Orsogna, Travis Mahoney, Cate Campbell and Bronte Campbell combined to finish first in a time of 1:30.52, in the last and much-anticipated event of the night.
The quartet managed to hold off a fast finishing China who picked up the silver, while Brazil bagged the bronze.
Australian swimmers won five more gold medals overall on the last day, taking the team’s total haul of gold to 10.
The Aussie swimmers have raised their standard in short course swimming, achieving a total of 75 medals from the Asian legs of the World Cup, as well as a number of new world, Australian and Commonwealth records.
Australia’s sprint sensation Cate Campbell started the gold rush on the final night with a win in the women’s 100m freestyle.
The long course world champion led from the start, hitting the wall in a time of 51.59, ahead of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom in 52.41 and her sister Bronte Campbell in 52.57.
Medley master Alicia Coutts demonstrated her dominance winning gold in the final of the women’s 100m individual medley.
Sitting under world record pace for the first 50 metres, Coutts stopped the clock at an impressive time of 58.08, ahead of Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson (58.71).
In the men’s 200m freestyle, Thomas Fraser-Holmes continued his golden streak when he secured the win in a time of 1:43.09.
He beat fellow Aussie Robert Hurley in second with 1:43.67, just 0.02 of a second ahead of Pawel Korzeniowsky (1:43.69) in third.
Backstroker Emily Seebohm finished her world cup campaign on a high note, with first place in the women’s 100m backstroke.
The short-course World Cup began in the Netherlands in August, and Beijing was the last of the eight-leg meet.