USA win Olympic women's 4x100m medley gold and set world record

The United States set a new world record time as they powered to Olympic gold in the women's 4x100m medley relay on Sunday with Australia taking silver and China bronze.

The Americans hit the wall in 3m 49.63, beating the previous record of 3:50.40 set by the US team at the 2019 world championships.

It was the perfect end to a strong Games for the American women with the team of Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske all adding to their medal haul.

Canada's Kylie Masse grabbed an early lead in the opening backstroke leg but Smith handed over to King with the Americans in the lead.

King extended the USA's lead over the Canadians with the highly fancied Australian team in third.

Walsh, silver medallist in the 100m butterfly, opened up an unsurmountable lead before Huske, who won gold in the 100m fly and silver in the 100m freestyle, made sure of the world record and the gold with a strong anchor leg.

The US leads the medal table in this event with 11 golds and it has won a medal at every Olympic Games, with the exception of Moscow 1980, which they boycotted.