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Matt Richards responded to personal disappointment with a statement swim on the world stage, helping Great Britain claim their first gold medal of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay.
After missing out on podium finishes in his individual events earlier in the week, the 22-year-old Team Wales star silenced critics by producing a blistering opening leg in Friday night’s relay final — laying the foundation for a triumphant performance by the reigning Olympic champions.
Richards was followed by James Guy, Jack McMillan, and anchor man Duncan Scott, as the quartet reclaimed the world title in emphatic fashion, clocking 6:59.84 and finishing more than a second ahead of China. Australia took the bronze.
The result not only secured Britain's first swimming medal of these championships but also reaffirmed their dominance in the relay, having won Olympic gold in Paris last summer and the previous world crown in 2023.
While the spotlight was shared by a team of seasoned campaigners, it was Richards who set the tone with a fearless opening leg.
His swim not only gave Britain an early advantage but also marked a personal comeback from the frustrations of earlier races in Singapore.
Richards, who had been tipped for individual success in the 200m freestyle coming into the championships, didn’t hide his frustration with his early-week form that was a long way off the performances that earned him a sliver medal at the Paris Olympics last year.
But the Worcestershire-born swimmer channeled that disappointment into a powerful swim that visibly lifted his teammates.
The rest of the team followed suit with equally polished displays.
Guy swam a tactically sharp second leg, holding the lead and turning up the pace when needed.
READ MORE: Matt Richards Admits He Has Plenty to Learn After 100m Disappointment At World Championships
McMillan maintained composure under pressure to hand off cleanly to Scott, who closed the race in familiar fashion, surging ahead down the final 50 metres to seal the victory.
“Happy is the right word,” said Guy, who also acknowledged the contributions of Evan Jones and Tom Dean, both of whom swam in the heats to help GB qualify.
“Obviously, winning the gold last year in Paris, and to come here to World Championships and to win the gold again is very, very special. Evan and Deano this morning played their part of the team. But to win that … obviously we won last year, but the gaps got a lot closer.
“We had people coming in from different directions, attacking us from the first leg, or second or fourth. But to hold our own in that kind of environment and to win was very, very nice.”
Scott, who anchored the relay as he has done on countless occasions, praised the set-up by his teammates and the ability of the squad to adapt under pressure.
“You know Jack did a great job because I would say with his 50m to go, I was like, ‘Oh, this is real tight,’ and then he just built so well and when other people are tiring, he took real advantage of that and finished strong, which meant that I could really get on the front foot.
“It's so difficult winning it once so being able to do it back-to-back I think we need to be really proud of that and that’s another a great swim for us.”
The victory was a display of not just talent but resilience — especially for Richards, who had faced mounting questions about his form after falling short in the individual 100m and 200m freestyle events.
But as he had done during last year’s stunning solo gold in Fukuoka, Richards rose when it mattered most.
READ MORE: Matt Richards Admits British Title Win Was As Tough As Any
