Aussies in near-disqualification drama as swimmers make history with eighth gold of Olympics

Australia has won an eighth gold medal at the Paris Olympics, with Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O'Callaghan, Brianna Throssell and Lani Pallister triumphing in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay. The superstar quartet touched the wall in seven minutes, 40.33 seconds - setting a new Olympic record - and winning by 2.78 seconds from the United States and China.

It means O'Callaghan now has three gold medals in Paris after also winning the women's 4x100m freestyle relay and women's 200m freestyle. The 20-year-old has five golds in her Olympic career and appears destined for greatness.

Titmus now has two golds in Paris after winning the 400m freestyle, and four golds in her career. It's the first Olympic gold for Pallister, who is making her debut at the sporting showpiece and was forced to withdraw from the 1500m freestyle due to illness.

Throssell is now a dual Olympic gold medallist, but this was her first swim in a winning final. The Queenslander was a heat swimmer in the Aussie team that won gold in the 4x100m medley relay at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Australia's swim team now has five gold medals in the pool in Paris, out of the nation's total of eight. It marks the first time in 128 years of Olympic Games history that Australia has won a gold medal on each of the first six days of competition.

Australians were nearly disqualified in 4x200m heats

But the relay triumph on Thursday night was nearly ruined by a close-shave in the heats that saw judges reviewing one of the Aussie changeovers. Jamie Perkins - who didn't swim in the final - came perilously close to being disqualified for diving into the pool too early on the first changeover.

But a judge's review found the Aussies were ok by just 0.03 seconds. “That is very, very close. Uncomfortably close,” one commentator said on TV. “That would be a huge, huge shock if a team like Australia didn’t make it through. That is a bit too close for Australia. That would have been the story of the Games. Unbelievable.”

Another commentator said: “I think the coach is having a word with his swimmers. He’s saying, ‘For goodness sake you make sure these changeovers are rock solid because all you can do is disqualify the team for later’. They’re going to take a look at this changeover and say what on earth were you doing? Why would you put yourself at risk?”

Australia's redemption after missing gold at Tokyo Olympics

It would have been unimaginable for the gold medal favourites to miss out because of a mishap in the heats. But thankfully there was no disqualification, and Perkins and Shayna Jack will also walk away with gold medals for their efforts in the heat.

The 4x200m team join Titmus, O'Callaghan, Kaylee McKeown and the women's 4x100m freestyle relay team as Aussie gold medallists in the pool in Paris. "I don't know what to say," Pallister told Channel 9 as she broke down in tears. "These girls are so incredible. I didn't think I'd be part of this relay at the start of the week so to be here standing with them, I don't think I could ask for anything more from my Olympic experience."

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It also comes as a huge moment of redemption after the 4x200m team were expected to win gold in Tokyo, but only managed bronze. Giaan Rooney said on Channel 9: “This one means so much after the bronze medal in Tokyo where they were favourites."

with AAP