Brits beaten by USA in 4x100m relay in Budapest
Monday 31 July 2017 08:57, UK
Adam Peaty, James Guy, Chris Walker-Hebborn and Duncan Scott took Great Britain's World Championships medal haul to seven on Sunday in Budapest.
But the quartet had to settle for silver in the 4x100m relay, as the United States triumphed despite a sensational swim from Peaty.
The final-day silver capped a great week for the British team. Peaty's 50m and 100m breaststroke golden double, Ben Proud's 50m butterfly win and the 4x200m men's freestyle relay success on Friday were followed by two bronze medals on Saturday - for Proud in the 50m freestyle and Guy in the 100m butterfly.
And Peaty and Guy each claimed their third medals of the eight-day competition by combining with Walker-Hebborn and Scott in the relay, the final event of the meeting.
But the USA took gold in three minutes 27.91 seconds thanks to Caeleb Dressel, Matt Grevers, Kevin Cordes and Nathan Adrian.
Dressel equalled compatriot Michael Phelps's record of seven gold medals at a single world championships, while the British quartet clocked 3mins 28.95secs, and bronze went to Russia in 3:29.76.
Despite the retirement of 23-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps, the USA were favourites for Sunday night's final, when Dressel was drafted in after his three golds in a single session on Saturday evening.
Peaty, the world 50m and 100m breaststroke champion, was rested for Sunday morning's heat, as Ross Murdoch swam the second leg, and he entered the water in seventh place on Sunday night after Walker-Hebborn's opening backstroke leg.
But Peaty touched the wall first at the end of his leg, recording a phenomenal split of 56.91 before Guy - whose 100m butterfly bronze on Saturday followed his decisive role in the 4x200m freestyle relay gold on Friday - swam the butterfly leg and was overhauled by Dressel.
Freestyler Scott took over in second and held on to that position without threatening to beat Adrian as Britain finished on the podium for a seventh time.
Kathleen Dawson, Sarah Vasey, Charlotte Atkinson and Freya Anderson finished seventh in the corresponding women's event won by the USA in 3:51.55 - a new world record.
