Great Britain defends 4x200 gold, Daniel Wiffen (Ireland) edges Bobby Finke

PARIS -- Great Britain retained their men's 4x200 meter freestyle relay gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, fending off a dogged challenge by the United States at La Defense Arena.

Australia took the bronze.

The British quartet of James Guy, Tom Dean, Matthew Richards and Duncan Scott clocked 6:59.43, edging the Americans by 1.35 seconds.

--American Bobby Finke touched half a second after Ireland's Daniel Wiffen, who claimed the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle with an Olympic record time on Tuesday.

Daniel Wiffen wiped tears from his eyes on the podium after becoming the first Irishman to win Olympic swimming gold, and a medal of any color, with a thrilling 800.

With his twin brother shouting in the crowd, the 23-year-old world champion touched out in seven minutes, 38.19 seconds to set a new Olympic record and secure Ireland's first gold of the Games.

Finke, the reigning Olympic champion in the event, was officially 0.56 behind on the wall touch with Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri in third place to claim the bronze.

"Amazing... ‘What's my name? Daniel Wiffen, Olympic champion,'" he told Ireland's RTE television. "It's really good. I can't believe it."

The only other Irish swimmer to win an Olympic swimming title was women's triple champion Michelle Smith in 1996, and Wiffen was also Northern Ireland's first gold medalist in 36 years.

"I mean, I'm not going to lie, I did tell everybody already I was going to do it before. So it's just good to see it on paper," Wiffen told reporters.

--Reuters, Special to Field Level Media

--Field Level Media