Australia had been without Olympic gold since 1972 when the men’s 4×100 metre medley relay team stepped onto the blocks at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. In the final they faced a Russian team that boasted gold and silver medallists in three of the four disciplines, but powerful swims by Mark Kerry (backstroke), Peter Evans (breaststroke) and Mark Tonelli (who cut almost two seconds from his previous best time in the butterfly) saw freestyler Neil Brooks head into the last leg less than a metre behind Russia’s Sergi Kopliakov. After an epic struggle over the last 25 metres Brooks won by a touch in Olympic record time.

Competition
Olympic Games

Team Members: Mark Kerry, Peter Evans, Neil Brooks, Mark Tonelli

Image: AAFLA