2021 Olympics: Jay Litherland & Chase Kalisz Win Gold & Silver Medals in Swimming

Americans Chase Kalisz and also Jay Litherland won silver and gold in the men’s 400-meter specific assortment on Sunday, capturing the United States’ first 2 medals of the Tokyo Olympics.

Kalisz, 27, swam in 4:09.42 to win by 0.86 seconds over Litherland, whose time of 4:10.28 was simply ahead of bronze medal-winner Brendon Smith of Australia (4:10.38). Kalisz won silver in the event at the 2016 Olympics.

Kalisz and Litherland, 25, both swam at the University of Georgia.

The United States won five medals in the first three medal races in swimming on Sunday. In the men’s 400-meter freestyle, Kieran Smith took bronze. Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui, 18, surged to victory from Lane 8, winning the country’s fifth gold medal of all time.

Americans Emma Weyant and Hali Flickinger won silver and bronze, respectively, in the ladies’s 400 IM, completing behind Japan’s Yui Ohashi. Weyant, 19, is completing in her initial Gamings, while Flickinger won her first medal.

In the 4th and also final medal race of Day 2, heavy favored Australia established a globe record in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay with a time of 3:29.69, while Canada squeezed out a silver medal by defeating the United States by 0.03 seconds. Erika Brown, Abbey Weitzeil, Natalie Hinds as well as Simone Manuel swam the four legs for the USA.

After Sunday’s activity, the USA leads the field with six swimming medals. Australia won 3 and Tunisia, Canada and Japan each won one.

The extremely initial UNITED STATE medal– as well as the only gold– mosted likely to 27-year-old Chase Kalisz in the men’s 400 meter private assortment race.

Kalisz was almost a full body size ahead of his closest rival at the end of the race, with a time of 4:09.42. Kalisz pumped both clenched fists and shouted, “Let’s go!” as the tiny group of UNITED STATE professional athletes and also agents applauded in the stands.

UNITED STATE swimmer Jay Litherland took silver because race, 0.86 seconds behind him. Brendon Smith of Australia won bronze.

Kalisz, who is originally from Maryland, is the second-oldest swimmer to ever before win the Olympic event.

This Olympics is the first one given that 1972 where the UNITED STATE did not win a medal on the very first day they were awarded.

U.S. swimming legend Michael Phelps has held the world record in this event for 13 years. His winning time, 4:03.84, is more than five as well as a fifty percent secs much faster than the time that won today’s gold medal.