Team USA's First Gold! Men's 4x100-Meter Relay Tops Podium Ahead of Australia at 2024 Paris Olympics

In the first day of medal events for Olympic swimming Team USA earned a gold, silver and bronze

The American men are golden!

Team USA's 4x100-meter freestyle relay team topped the podium in Paris on Saturday, July 27 to win the U.S.'s first gold medal of the 2024 Olympics, beating heated rivals Australia, who took second.

The relay team, made up of veteran Caeleb Dressel, Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano and Hunter Armstrong, led for half the race, largely thanks to Armstrong's strong third leg that pulled them far ahead of Australia and third place finishers Italy.

"It was an extremely special moment," Dressel, 27, told reporters after the race. "I was just truly honored to be part of this relay."

Armstrong, when asked what it was like to hit 46.75-second 100-meter, said he "didn't expect it."

"I just went in, and you know, I'm willing to give my entire body and soul up for these boys and I knew I had to give Caeleb everything I had, so I'm glad I was able to get my job done," he said with a grin.

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Just before the men took gold, the U.S. women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay team earned silver in their event, finishing behind Australia and ahead of China.

Speaking after the race, Simone Manuel, who swam the anchor leg and narrowly edged out China to secure second, said "to be honest," she "didn't really know where China was" during her closing lap.

"I really was just trying to put together the best possible race that I could," she said. "I knew these three women set me up well. And it's been a while since I've been in that race position, so I definitely was a bit more nervous for that race than I would've liked to be."

The U.S. women qualified for the event with a time of 3:33.29, slightly behind Team Australia with 3:31.57. Australia set and holds the Olympic record for the women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay. The country also holds the world record time 3:27.96, set in 2023.

"I think we're just excited for the race," Kate Douglass teased to reporters, including PEOLPE, at Paris' La Défense Arena after she swam as part of the relay in the qualifiers. "It's going to be a good one."

On the men's side of things, the U.S. maintains both the world and Olympic record for the event, set back in 2008. Team USA was just .36 seconds behind Team Australia in the qualifying race, finishing 3:12.61.

The Australia rivalry has long been a big storyline during the Olympic Games, and was amplified in the walk-up to Paris by swimmer Cate Campbell. Aussie Campbell earned the ire of 23-time American gold medalist Michael Phelps after he viewed a video of her bragging about beating Team USA at the 2023 World Championships. Campbell ultimately did not qualify for this year's games.

Related: Team USA Flagbearer Coco Gauff Beams with Pride During Olympics Opening Ceremony: ‘Truly No Words’

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines explained the head-to-head during an NBC Olympics press event in June, saying simply, "The U.S. hates Australia."

Gaines then clarified: “The U.S. hates Australia until after the race and then there’s hugs and love all the way around.”

Earlier in the day, Team USA earned their first medal in the women's 3-meter synchronized springboard competition. Divers Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook took silver in the event, the first Olympic medal for both.

Along with the relay swimmers, Katie Ledecky medaled in the women's 400m freestyle final, taking home bronze, her 11th overall Olympic medal.

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