Wednesday, February 14, 2024
U.S. Wins Gold in 4x100 Mixed Medley Relay on Night Four of World Aquatics Championships
Results | U.S. Roster | U.S. Medalists
Men’s 800m Freestyle – FINAL
11 – David Johnston (Dallas, Texas/The Swim Team), 7:48.20
22 – Charlie Clark (Sandusky, Ohio/Ohio State University), 7:54.87
Women’s 200m Freestyle – FINAL
12 – Addison Sauickie (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Sharks), 1:58.51
Men’s 100m Freestyle – SEMIFINAL
7 – Matt King (Snohomish, Wash./Texas Ford Aquatics), 48.17
The final will be contested on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
Women’s 50m Backstroke – SEMIFINAL
3 – Claire Curzan (Cary, N.C./University of Virginia), 27.65
The final will be contested on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
Men’s 200m Butterfly – FINAL
11 – Zach Harting (Huntsville, Ala./Cardinal Aquatics), 1:56.81
Men’s 50m Breaststroke – FINAL
BRONZE – Nic Fink (Morristown, N.J./Metro Atlanta Aquatic Club), 26.49
11 – Michael Andrew (Encinitas, Calif./MA Swim Academy), 27.18
Fink on what contributes to his success: “I think a lot of things go into it. I have a great support staff and as I grew older, I figured out how to train a little smarter, as opposed to just training hard and I think that's paid off in the shorter events for sure. Having a new appreciation and new approach to the sport has really helped me with not putting as much pressure or emphasis on getting medals. It's funny how you kind of take it a little less seriously and then, all of a sudden, you start having success. It’s been really fun experiencing that and kind of going along for the ride.”
On his mindset for the rest of the year: “I’ve got a few more races here, and we're going to try to do well in those. After that, it's back to the hamster wheel a little bit and the grind, so it’ll be a pretty hard (training) block. Then after that, Trials will be here before we know it. And then if I'm lucky enough to make the Paris Olympic team, then that'll be here soon, too. It'll happen really fast.”
Race Notes:
• Fink medals in this event for the third-consecutive year; Won gold in 2022 and bronze in 2023.
• Fink’s time marks a new personal best by 0.06 seconds.
Women’s 200m Butterfly – SEMIFINAL
2 – Rachel Klinker (Lexington, Ky./California Aquatics), 2:07.70
Men’s 200m Individual Medley – SEMIFINAL
1 – Carson Foster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays), 1:57.13
2 – Shaine Casas (McAllen, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics), 1:57.62
Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay – FINAL
GOLD – United States, 3:40.22
Hunter Armstrong (Dover, Ohio/California Aquatics)
Nic Fink (Morristown, N.J./Metro Atlanta Aquatic Club)
Claire Curzan (Cary, N.C./University of Virginia)
Kate Douglass (Pelham, N.Y./New York Athletic Club)
Armstrong on the relay: “I always loved the mixed relays. It's a lot of fun to, first off, put together a strategy against other countries and to get a chance to race with the women since we never get to do that. It's really fun to get to race with Claire and Kate and combine our best athletes in the country into one great relay.”
Fink on the relay: “It's a really great experience to bring home the gold. We were a little disappointed last year when we got beaten in that relay so to bring it back to U.S. soil before this summer was pretty important. I've certainly been on these relays with Hunter, Claire, and Kate, and I knew they were going to perform and I knew they were all going to be sharp. I just wanted to be able to pull my weight and give those guys a chance to win. It’s a lot less pressure when you have the best in the world on your relay, and those guys were ready to swim tonight.”
Race Notes:
• Jack Aikins, Jake Foster, Rachel Klinker, and Addison Sauickie also receive medals for swimming in the prelims. This marks the first World Aquatics Championships medal for Klinker and Sauickie.
• The swim gives Douglass the 11th World Aquatics Championships medal of her career, making her the seventh most-decorated American female swimmer in competition history.
• The U.S. has medaled in the event at every World Aquatics Championships since 2015, and has now won gold in two of the last three editions of the competition.
The U.S. added two medals on night four of the World Aquatics Championships, courtesy of a 4x100-meter mixed medley relay gold and a 50m breaststroke bronze from Nic Fink (Morristown, N.J./Metro Atlanta Aquatic Club). The podium finishes bring the U.S. pool medal total to 10, making it the first federation to hit the double-digit mark for the competition.
A look at the U.S. team medal table after four days of competition in Qatar:
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
| United States | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Men’s 800m Freestyle – FINAL
11 – David Johnston (Dallas, Texas/The Swim Team), 7:48.20
22 – Charlie Clark (Sandusky, Ohio/Ohio State University), 7:54.87
Women’s 200m Freestyle – FINAL
12 – Addison Sauickie (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Sharks), 1:58.51
Men’s 100m Freestyle – SEMIFINAL
7 – Matt King (Snohomish, Wash./Texas Ford Aquatics), 48.17
The final will be contested on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
Women’s 50m Backstroke – SEMIFINAL
3 – Claire Curzan (Cary, N.C./University of Virginia), 27.65
The final will be contested on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
Men’s 200m Butterfly – FINAL
11 – Zach Harting (Huntsville, Ala./Cardinal Aquatics), 1:56.81
Men’s 50m Breaststroke – FINAL
BRONZE – Nic Fink (Morristown, N.J./Metro Atlanta Aquatic Club), 26.49
11 – Michael Andrew (Encinitas, Calif./MA Swim Academy), 27.18
Fink on what contributes to his success: “I think a lot of things go into it. I have a great support staff and as I grew older, I figured out how to train a little smarter, as opposed to just training hard and I think that's paid off in the shorter events for sure. Having a new appreciation and new approach to the sport has really helped me with not putting as much pressure or emphasis on getting medals. It's funny how you kind of take it a little less seriously and then, all of a sudden, you start having success. It’s been really fun experiencing that and kind of going along for the ride.”
On his mindset for the rest of the year: “I’ve got a few more races here, and we're going to try to do well in those. After that, it's back to the hamster wheel a little bit and the grind, so it’ll be a pretty hard (training) block. Then after that, Trials will be here before we know it. And then if I'm lucky enough to make the Paris Olympic team, then that'll be here soon, too. It'll happen really fast.”
Race Notes:
• Fink medals in this event for the third-consecutive year; Won gold in 2022 and bronze in 2023.
• Fink’s time marks a new personal best by 0.06 seconds.
Women’s 200m Butterfly – SEMIFINAL
2 – Rachel Klinker (Lexington, Ky./California Aquatics), 2:07.70
Men’s 200m Individual Medley – SEMIFINAL
1 – Carson Foster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays), 1:57.13
2 – Shaine Casas (McAllen, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics), 1:57.62
Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay – FINAL
GOLD – United States, 3:40.22
Hunter Armstrong (Dover, Ohio/California Aquatics)
Nic Fink (Morristown, N.J./Metro Atlanta Aquatic Club)
Claire Curzan (Cary, N.C./University of Virginia)
Kate Douglass (Pelham, N.Y./New York Athletic Club)
Armstrong on the relay: “I always loved the mixed relays. It's a lot of fun to, first off, put together a strategy against other countries and to get a chance to race with the women since we never get to do that. It's really fun to get to race with Claire and Kate and combine our best athletes in the country into one great relay.”
Fink on the relay: “It's a really great experience to bring home the gold. We were a little disappointed last year when we got beaten in that relay so to bring it back to U.S. soil before this summer was pretty important. I've certainly been on these relays with Hunter, Claire, and Kate, and I knew they were going to perform and I knew they were all going to be sharp. I just wanted to be able to pull my weight and give those guys a chance to win. It’s a lot less pressure when you have the best in the world on your relay, and those guys were ready to swim tonight.”
Race Notes:
• Jack Aikins, Jake Foster, Rachel Klinker, and Addison Sauickie also receive medals for swimming in the prelims. This marks the first World Aquatics Championships medal for Klinker and Sauickie.
• The swim gives Douglass the 11th World Aquatics Championships medal of her career, making her the seventh most-decorated American female swimmer in competition history.
• The U.S. has medaled in the event at every World Aquatics Championships since 2015, and has now won gold in two of the last three editions of the competition.
The 2024 World Aquatics Championships continues through February 18, with prelims beginning each day at 1:30 a.m. ET and finals beginning at 11 a.m. ET. All sessions are streamed live on Peacock.
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