Mack Horton lived up to his promise as Australia's next great distance swimmer with a magnificent win in the 400m freestyle, beating out China's Sun Yang, who was seeking his second straight Olympic gold medal in this event.
Brit Guy sets early pace
James Guy, a two-time gold-medalist from last year's World Championships in Kazan, qualified sixth into the final as a result of the morning heats. Intent on showing the form that led him to double in Russia in 2015, he led the race from the gun, the 20 year-old went for a similar fast start as in his heat. With a loaded field, Guy knew he needed an improved performance and he went for the kill early, leading for the opening three lengths, turning at 150 meters in first.
Field catches up to Guy, Horton and Yang battle for the gold
Unlike in qualifying, Guy still had the lead after 200 meters and after turning in 250 meters, it seemed as though Great Britain's initial medal of the Games was on the cards.
As 300 meters approached however, defending Olympic champion Sun Yang, Horton and the Americans Connor Dwyer and Connor Jaeger began to catch up to Guy.
With 50 meters to go, Guy's lead had disappeared, his strategy of going out fast and trying to hold off this incredibly talented field unsuccessful, the gutsy Brit fading to a sixth place finish as the field passed him, leaving him in his tracks.
The race for the podium was taking shape, Horton and Yang dueling for gold and silver, Dwyer, Jaeger and Italian Gabriele Detti battling for bronze. Horton held off a late push by Yang to touch the wall in a time of 3:41.55 to wrap up Australia's first gold in Rio.
Yang took the silver with a time of 3:41.68 and Detti was the bronze medalist with a time of 3:43.49, .12 of a second better than Dwyer, who finished fourth and .27 faster than Jaeger, who came in fifth.
After a massively disappointing showing in the London Olympics, the Australians will hope this buoys them to greater success in Rio and Horton got them off to the perfect start.
Horton talks Yang, victory, rivalry with Chinese star
Horton spoke about Yang, who controversially served a three month ban for testing positive for a banned stimulant in 2014 and he had no regrets about his words before the final.
“I don’t think it is a big statement because it is true, he has tested positive,” he said. “No athlete has really come forward and said it. It wouldn’t have felt right if I raced against someone who had tested positive and didn’t bring it up. Hopefully others will follow.”
He also spoke briefly about his win and more about a supposed rivalry with the London champion. “Definitely a win for the good guys,” he told Channel Seven. “Don’t know if it was a rivalry between me and him, just me and an athlete who has tested positive I guess.”