Titmus powers home to nab relay bronze

Australia have left it until the final event on day five to add to their medal tally at the world swimming titles in Budapest, clinching 4x200m relay bronze.

Australia's 4x200m relay team.

Madison Wilson, Emma McKeon, Kotuku Ngawati and Ariarne Titmus celebrate their relay bronze medal. (AAP)

The medals keep coming for a record-bound Emma McKeon but Australia are running out of time to secure an elusive gold at the world swimming championships in Budapest.

Teenage rookie Ariarne Titmus stole the show on day five at Duna Arena when she powered home to seal Australia a gutsy 4x200m freestyle relay bronze.

It saved blushes for Australia which looked at risk of not adding to the medal tally after gold hopes Cameron McEvoy (100m freestyle) and Emily Seebohm (50m backstroke) earlier missed the podium entirely.

Yet despite 16-year-old Titmus' heroics, McKeon remains the star for the Australian Dolphins after taking her remarkable personal world titles medal tally to five.

Australian swimming's ironwoman showed no signs of rust, qualifying for the 100m freestyle final before chiming into the 4x200m relay final.

The 23-year-old added the relay bronze to the four silvers she has already collected in Hungary, putting her in elite company.

She has equalled the most medals at a world titles by an Australian woman, joining Libby Trickett (five gold, 2007) and Alicia Coutts (five silver, 2013).

And McKeon still has the 100m freestyle final and the 4x100m medley relay to contest on the final three days.

"It was pretty tough. That's 11 races for me now and it's catching up with me," McKeon said.

Yet Australia are still sweating on gold in Hungary.

With three days left, Australia are 11th on the medal table with five silver and two bronze - well behind leaders the United States (nine gold, eight silver, three bronze).

In contrast, Australia finished second at the 2015 world titles with seven gold, three silver and six bronze - one gold shy of leaders the US.

McKeon may have admitted to signs of fatigue but she still clocked Australia's fastest split of the 4x200m relay team before Titmus announced her arrival.

The long distance specialist turned on the afterburners to reel in Russia's Arina Openysheva on the final leg and clinch a welcome bronze.

"At the 100m mark I was a bit behind, then on the third turn I could see her and I was just like 'come on'," said Titmus, who held out the Russian by 0.08 of a second.

Australia's best remaining gold chances are Seebohm (200m backstroke), Bronte Campbell (50m, 100m freestyle) and Olympic 400m champion Mack Horton (1500m freestyle).

But Australia will not threaten in the men's 200m backstroke after defending world champion Mitch Larkin failed to qualify for the final.

Australia's frustration continued in the women's 50m backstroke final when Seebohm clocked a new national mark of 27.37 but still could not grab a medal.

Meanwhile, defending champion Bronte Campbell (53.04) was fifth fastest qualifier for the 100m freestyle final.


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Source: AAP



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