Notre Dame's Chris Guiliano wins Team USA's 1st gold medal in Paris in 400 freestyle relay

NANTERRE, France – Chris Guiliano is not only the first Notre Dame men’s swimmer to represent Team USA at an Olympic Games. Now, he is the first gold medalist.

Guiliano gave the Americans the lead for good Saturday night, and they went on to win the 4x100-meter freestyle for a third successive Olympics.

It was Team USA's first gold medal of the Paris Olympics in any sport.

Jack Alexy, Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong and Caeleb Dressel finished first in 3:09.28. Australia was silver medalist in 3:10.70. Italy took the bronze in 3:10.70 over the 3:11.28 by China, which had a big Day 1 at the Paris La Defense Arena.

The outcome supplied Dressel with an eighth gold medal, tying him for sixth among all Olympians in history. Michael Phelps is the leader with 23. Paavo Nurmi, Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz and Larisa Latynina have nine each. Dressel is one of 10 with eight golds.

Splits for the Americans: Alexy 47.67, Guiliano 47.33, Armstrong 46.75, Dressel 47.53.

Guiliano, 21, of Douglassville, Pa., was the third athlete with Hoosier ties to win a medal on Day 1. Indianapolis diver Sarah Bacon won a silver on synchronized 3-meter and Brownsburg cyclist Chloe Dygert took bronze in the individual time trial.

Guiliano could leave Paris with more medals. He will be the first American in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles since Matt Biondi at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and he is also  in the 4x200 freestyle relay.

Also picking up a gold was Matt King, who swam in the heats.

King, who is transferring to Indiana University, gave the Hoosiers a gold medal in the 4x100 free relay for a third Olympics in a row.  Blake Pieroni won gold in 2016, and Zach Apple and Pieroni did so in 2021.

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

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Notre Dame's Chris Guiliano wins Team USA's 1st gold medal in Paris in 400 freestyle relay