the australian emma mackeon clarified that she does not want anything or anyone to challenge the title of “queen” of the Short Course World Cups which started this Tuesday in Melbourne, after leading the Oceanic team to gold in the 4x100m freestyle final with a new world record, included.

It wasn’t the only world record to be broken at the Melbourne Aquatics Centre, where Italy He met the odds and was crowned the new 4x100m freestyle relay world champion after setting a new world record with a time of 3:02.75 minutes. If no one questioned the favoritism of the quartet composed of Alessandro Miressi, Paolo Conte, Leonardo Deplano and Thomas Cecconquite the opposite happened in the women’s relay event, where the United States and Canada, who shared the gold medal last year in Abu Dhabi, seemed to take the start ahead of Australia.

In fact, the American quartet clearly led the race in the first three stints in the hands of Torri Huske, Kate Douglass and Claire Curzan, who swam under the world record. A panorama that has completely changed with the irruption of Emma McKeon, the “queen” of the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, during which the Oceanian woman won seven medals, including four gold.

Not even the almost one second -0.98- disadvantage with which McKeon faced the last stint against the American Erika Brown could not prevent the return of the oceanic, who with the last 25 meters to go occupied already the first position. A long final in which Emma McKeon, the only one able to swim the last stage in less than 50 seconds, in which the Australian doubled her advantage to lead the locals to victory with a time of 3:25.43 minutes, a new world record.

Quite a declaration of intent from McKeon, who in addition to the various relay events will also be swimming in Melbourne in the 50 and 100 freestyles, where he starts as the favorite to win.

PALTRINIERI FINDS NO RIVAL IN THE 1500

If the victories in the first relay events showed that the Australians and Italians are ready to fight an uphill battle against the United States for the top spot in the medal table. the transalpine Gregorio Paltrinieri He found no rival on his way to victory in the 1500m freestyle final, in which the Italian prevailed with a mark of 14:16.88 minutes.

Absent the American Bobby Finke, current Olympic champion, as well as the German Florian Wellbrock, world record holder for the short course distance, and the Ukrainian Mikhaylo Romanchuk, Gregorio Paltrinieri did not need his best version to win gold. As evidenced by the almost three seconds -2.74- in which he overtook his nearest rival, the Frenchman Damien Joly, silver with a time of 14: 19.62, as well as the seven seconds in which he overtook the Norwegian Henrik Christiansen, bronze with a record of 14:24.08 minutes.

For her part, the young Australian Lani Pallister She did not miss the defeat of the Chinese Bingjie Li, the current world champion and world record holder, who gave up the event suffering from fever, to win the 400m free final. Pallister, who clocked 3:55.04 minutes, clearly passed New Zealand’s Erika Faithweatner, who touched the wall almost a second later -0.96- than the ocean swimmer. Rounding out the podium was American Leah Smith, who won the bronze medal with a time of 3:59:78 minutes.

SATES PRESENTS CANDIDACY FOR WORLD CUP ‘KING’

South Africa hasn’t failed either. matthew satiates, who won the first of four gold medals he is aiming for in Melbourne, after winning the 200 individual medley final with a time of 1:50.15 minutes. A record that placed the young South African swimmer, who turned 19 last July, in second position in the all-time world rankings, just behind the legendary American Ryan Lochte, world record holder with a time of 1:49.63 from the distant year 2012.

And that all predictions placed the American Shaine Casas on the top step of the podium, arriving at the event with the best world record of the year, having swum last October in a time of 1:50.37 minutes in Toronto. But Sates was clearly superior to the American, who despite leading the race after the relay from behind, found himself off the podium, passed by his compatriot Carson Foster, silver with a time of 1:50.96, and the Canadian Finlay Knox, who he hung the bronze medal with a record of 1: 51.04 minutes.

In the women’s 200m medley, victory went to the American kate douglaswho with a time of 2:02.12, a new American record, beat her compatriot Alex Walsh, silver, and Australian Kaylee McKeown, who took bronze.