Meg Harris, OAM (born 7 March 2002) is an Australian swimmer. She is a world record holder in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay. She competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she won a gold medal in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the 4×200 metre freestyle relay[1] and also in the 2024 Summer Olympics, having won a gold medal in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay. Harris also won an individual silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 50 m freestyle. She is also the co-founder of the clothing brand Dally&Co Label.

Meg Harris
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (2002-03-07) 7 March 2002 (age 22)
Albury, New South Wales, Australia
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubRackley
CoachDamien Jones
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  Australia
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 2 1
World Championships (LC) 4 2 1
World Championships (SC) 2 3 0
Commonwealth Games 1 1 0
World Junior Championships 0 1 2
Commonwealth Youth Games 1 0 0
Total 10 9 4
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris 50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris 4x100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo 4×200 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2022 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2022 Budapest 4×100 m mixed freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2023 Fukuoka 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2023 Fukuoka 4×100 m mixed freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2022 Budapest 4×100 m mixed medley
Silver medal – second place 2023 Fukuoka 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Budapest 50 m freestyle
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2022 Melbourne 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2022 Melbourne 4×200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2022 Melbourne 4×50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2022 Melbourne 4×100 m medley
Silver medal – second place 2022 Melbourne 4×50 m mixed freestyle
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Birmingham 4×100 m mixed freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2022 Birmingham 50 m freestyle
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Budapest 50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Budapest 100 m freestyle
Commonwealth Youth Games
Gold medal – first place Nassau 2017 50 m freestyle

Background

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Harris attended Mt St Michael's College in Ashgrove, Brisbane.

Career

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2020 Olympics

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During the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Harris swam the second leg for the gold medal-winning Australian Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay team in the final. The Australian women broke the world record with a time of 3:29.69. Harris's split was 53.09.[2] She also swam the heats of the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay with a split of 1:57.01. Harris did not swim in the final where the Australians finished third, but received a bronze medal for swimming in the heats of the relay.[3]

After the Olympics Harris moved from Brisbane, where she had been coached by Dean Boxall, to Adelaide, where she came under the tutelage of noted sprint coach Peter Bishop.

2022

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In January 2022, Harris broke her arm and announced the injury on Instagram.[4] Harris later announced the injury was not training related and she attained the broken arm when she accidentally ran a scooter into a rock.[5]

In the 2022 Australia Day Honours, Harris was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia.[6]

2023

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At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Harris swam the third leg in the Australia women’s 4x100m freestyle relay along with Shayna Jack, Mollie O’Callaghan and Emma McKeon to break the world record in a time of 3:27.96. The previous record also by an Australian team was 3:29.69. Harris also won another gold medal as an heat swimmer in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay and silver medal as a heat swimmer in the women’s 4x100m medley relay.

In August Harris announced she would move from the South Australia Sports Institute(SASI) to join the Rackley Swim Team in Brisbane under Damien Jones.

World records

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Long course metres

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No. Event Time Meet Location Date Status Ref
1 4x100 m freestyle relay [a] 3:29.69 2020 Summer Olympics Tokyo, Japan 25 July 2021 Former [2]
2 4x100 m freestyle relay [b] 3:27.96 2023 World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka, Japan 23 July 2023 Current [7]

a split 53.09 (2nd leg); with Bronte Campbell (1st leg), Emma McKeon (3rd leg), Cate Campbell (4th leg)
b split 52.29 (3rd leg); with Mollie O'Callaghan (1st leg), Shayna Jack (2nd leg), Emma McKeon (4th leg)

Short course metres

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No. Event Time Meet Location Date Status Ref
1 4x100 m freestyle relay[a] 3:25.43 2022 World Championships (25 m) Melbourne, Australia 13 December 2022 Current [8]

a split 52.00 (3rd leg); with Mollie O'Callaghan (1st leg), Madison Wilson (2nd leg), Emma McKeon (4th leg)

Olympic records

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Long course metres

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No. Event Time Meet Location Date Age Status Notes Ref
1 4x100 m freestyle relay [a] 3:29.69 2020 Summer Olympics Tokyo, Japan 25 July 2021 19 Former Former WR, OC, NR [2]
2 4x100 m freestyle relay (2)[b] 3:28.92 2024 Summer Olympics Paris, France 27 July 2024 22 Current [9]
Legend: WRWorld record; OCOceanian record; NRAustralian record;
Records not set in finals: h – heat; sf – semifinal; r – relay 1st leg; rh – relay heat 1st leg; b – B final; – en route to final mark; tt – time trial

a split 53.09 (2nd leg); with Bronte Campbell (1st leg), Emma McKeon (3rd leg), Cate Campbell (4th leg)
b split 51.94 (4th leg) with Mollie O'Callaghan (1st leg), Shayna Jack (2nd leg), Emma McKeon (3rd leg)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Swimming - HARRIS Meg". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "4x100m Freestyle Relay result. (25 July 2021). FINA Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  3. ^ "4×200m freestyle relay heats". FINA. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  4. ^ Race, Retta (8 January 2022). "Aussie World Record Holder Meg Harris Suffers Arm Injury". SwimSwam. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  5. ^ Keith, Braden (11 January 2022). "Olympic Gold Medalist Meg Harris Broke Her Arm While Riding A Scooter". SwimSwam. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Australia Day Honours List" (PDF). The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Final results" (PDF). omegatiming.com. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Women's 4x100m Freestyle – Final – Results" (PDF). Omega Timing. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Australian women break own Olympic Record with 3:28.92 4x100 Free relay/". SwimSwam. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
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