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Lilly King’s last Olympic swim ends with gold, world record; Alex Shackell gets medal, too

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Lilly King’s last Olympic swim ends with gold, world record; Alex Shackell gets medal, too

Carmel teen Alex Shackell swam in the relay’s prelims Saturday to add gold to the silver she won earlier in the week.

David Woods
 |  Special for IndyStar

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PARIS – Swimmers often say last one, fast one.

For Lilly King, it was that, and more, in her last Olympic swim Sunday night at Nanterre, France.

With King on breaststroke, the United States won the women’s 4×100-meter medley relay with a world record of 3:49.63 in the final event at Paris La Defense Arena.

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Not only did King secure a third Olympic gold medal, Carmel’s Alex Shackell earned her first. 

Because Shackell, entering her senior year of high school, swam in the heats Saturday, she picks up a gold to add to the silver she won from the 4×200 freestyle relay heats.

Australia won the silver medal in 3:53.11 and China the bronze in 3:53.23.

The outcome allowed the Americans to edge Australia 8-7 in swimming golds at the Paris Olympics.

The United States led in total medals 28-18. China was third in total medals with 12.

The Americans featured world record-holders in backstroke (Regan Smith 57.28), breaststroke (King 1:04.90) and butterfly (Gretchen Walsh 55.03). On freestyle was Torri Huske (52.42), the silver medalist at these Paris Olympics.

Previous world record was 3:50.40 in 2019 by the United States, whose team included Smith and King. Previous Olympic record was 3:51.60 by Australia in 2021.

It was King’s third gold medal — after two she won at Rio de Janeiro in the 100 breaststroke and the 4×100 medley relay — and sixth medal. She has said Paris would be her last Olympics.

It was the sixth global gold in this relay for King, including four from World Championships.

Shackell’s father, Nick, was on Great Britain’s 4×100 medley relay team at Atlanta in 1996. Alex’s brother, Aaron, finished eighth in the 400 freestyle at these Olympics.

Only other Indiana girl to medal while still in high school was Fort Wayne Snider’s Sharon Wichman, then 16, at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. She won gold in the 200 breaststroke and bronze in the 100 breaststroke.

Contact IndyStar correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

Indiana women’s gold medalists

Tokyo 1964

Kathy Ellis, Indianapolis, swimming, 4×100 medley and 4×100 freestyle relays

Mexico City 1968

Sharon Wichman, Fort Wayne, swimming, 200 breaststroke

Atlanta 1996

Jaycie Phelps, Greenfield, gymnastics, team

Maicel Malone, Indianapolis, track and field, 4×400 relay

Sydney 2000

Lindsay Benko, Elkhart, swimming, 4×200 freestyle relay

Athens 2004

Lindsay Benko, Elkhart, swimming, 4×200 freestyle relay

Rio de Janeiro 2016

Lilly King, Evansville, swimming, 100 breaststroke and 4×100 medley relay

Tokyo 2021

Skylar Diggins-Smith, South Bend, basketball

Annie Drews, Elkhart, volleyball

Lynna Irby, Indianapolis, track and field, 4×400 relay

Jackie Young, Princeton, 3×3 basketball

Paris 2024

Lilly King, Evansville, swimming, 4×100 medley relay

Alex Shackell, Carmel swimming, 4×100 medley relay

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