World Male Relay of the Year: British 800 Freestyle Relay Made History with Gold at Paris Games
When Great Britain captured the gold medal in the men’s 800-meter freestyle at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo (held in 2021), the achievement snapped a 113-year drought. Prior to that victory by the quartet of Tom Dean, James Guy, Matt Richards and Duncan Scott, British men hadn’t won an Olympic relay since the 1908 Games.
Giving back that title was never an option.
At this past summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, the same foursome again reigned over the world, thanks to a performance of 6:59.43. The effort produced a 1.35-second triumph over the United States and was impressive enough to earn World Male Relay of the Year honors, as selected by Swimming World Magazine.
From one Olympiad to the next, it isn’t unusual for a country to return a handful of relay components. What is rare is the fact that Great Britain brought back all four members of its Tokyo-title squad, with Dean and Guy switching roles at the front of the relay while Richards and Scott remained slotted in the third- and fourth-leg positions. Never before had a relay defended with the same unit.
A major player on the international scene for a decade, Guy was tasked with leading off the relay – and the veteran delivered. On the strength of a 1:45.09 split, Guy put the Brits in front and was faster than the 1:45.14 he posted to win the gold medal in the 200 freestyle at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan.
After Guy handed Great Britain a .46 advantage over the United States, Dean went to work in a different role from his Olympic debut. The leadoff man in Tokyo, Dean covered the second leg in 1:45.28, which padded the British edge over the Americans by .03.
Coming off a silver medal in the 200 freestyle, where he was involved in a down-to-the-touch finish, Richards produced a 1:45.11 marker on the third leg. That effort added .01 to the British lead over the United States and enabled Scott to enter the water with a nearly half-second margin. Not surprising, Scott was superb in sealing a repeat crown.
Known for his anchor prowess, whether in the 400 freestyle relay or the 800 freestyle relay, Scott left no doubt about Britain’s dominant status in the event. The Scotsman checked in with a closing split of 1:43.95, the only sub-1:44 performance in the field, and allowed the Brits to pull away to a comfortable decision.
While the Brits secured another decisive win, this finish was vastly different than their gold medal from three years prior. This time around, without COVID denying spectator access to the venue, Great Britain had the opportunity to be feted by the crowd and relatives. It was a deserving celebration for a nation that has placed its stamp on the event, as Scott and Guy were also members of the 2016 squad that won silver in Rio de Janeiro.
“It feels different for so many reasons,” Dean said. “It feels different because my family and friends were there in the crowd and that was the most special thing. It’s all I’ve been thinking about since we won it in Tokyo, wanting to do it again. It feels different because it’s the same quartet to defend an Olympic title and I think that’s the first time it’s ever happened. It feels different because the last three years haven’t been a straight line for anyone. Me, Jimmy, Matt, Duncan – there have been a lot of changes, but we stepped up again in an Olympic year and that’s what is really special.”
