The decision to not have Missy Franklin in the lineup for the women’s 4×200 freestyle final certainly raised some eyebrows. But in the end, the race boiled down to one thing: the United States had Katie Ledecky, and no other team in the pool did.
Ledecky posted a time of 1:53.74 in her 200 meter anchor leg, turning what was a close race into a comfortable win for the United States. Team USA finished in a time of 7:43.03, with Allison Schmitt, Leah Smith and Maya DiRado swimming the first three legs. DiRado, who also won medals in the 200 IM (bronze) and 400 IM (silver), won her first Olympic gold medal as did Smith.