24 Jul 2025

Teamwork’s the key as USA complete relay clean sweep on final night of swimming

BERLIN – The USA completed a clean sweep of relay events on the final night of swimming at Schwimm-und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark in Berlin, clinching both 4x100m medley relays to confirm their dominance of the pool.

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Leah Elizabeth Shackley (pictured above), Maxine Charlize Parker and Matthew Carl King each won their fifth golds of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games as nine medal events were decided on Wednesday.

Parker, who along with Shackley took gold in the women’s 4x100m medley relay, had won the women’s 50m freestyle event just an hour earlier, King recorded the same golden double in men’s events but had an extra half an hour to recover before the men’s medley relay final.

The two relay victories meant USA won all eight team events at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games, while Shackley (with five golds, one silver) and Parker (five gold, one bronze) each finished the FISU Games with six medals in total.

For King it was gold or nothing, to his surprise. “I don’t usually race this much so this was a bit of a shock for me,” King said.

“I overhauled my training over the past month. I went into nationals with a lot of confidence, but I came out of that meet (feeling) like, ‘oh crap I’ve got a lot of work to do’.

“But I was very confident in my training coming into this meet. I’ve never worked harder in my life than the past month.

Kamal Ibrahim Muhammad then officially anointed his relay teammate.

“Matt King is the ‘sprint king’. He won the 50 (metres freestyle) and the 100 (metres freestyle). He’s the fastest sprinter at this meet.”

Pizza party

Shackley and Parker both paid tribute to their USA teammates, who played such a large role in the FISU Games success.

“It feels great,” Shackley said. “Being in Team USA in any relay is honestly awesome. Having people around you that care so much, that have the same mindset as you and are giving their all is always amazing.”

“I love relays,” Parker said. “They are the races I get the most excited for. I love swimming for my teammates. It makes me want to work harder and get my hand on the wall for them.”

For the USA swimmers, all that was left was to celebrate.

“We are having a pizza party with Team USA after this so that will be fun,” Parker said.

But with so much sleep to catch up on after seven days of intense competition, Muhammad reckoned it would be a short-lived affair.

“We will all be in bed by 9.30pm,” he said.

FGNS pg/cc/mb