At first, Cate Campbell thought the worst.
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The crowd was only getting louder as she neared the finish anchoring Australia's 4x100m freestyle really team at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games on Thursday night.
And for Campbell that could only mean one thing - her rivals were closing in.
Instead daylight was second as the Gold Coast crowd went nuts celebrating Campbell sealing Australia's relay gold in a new world record.
Remarkably Campbell, sister Bronte, Emma McKeon and newcomer Shayna Jack combined to shave 0.6 seconds of the previous world-best mark, set when they won Rio gold.
"It's the first time I have ever heard the crowd while swimming," former world champion Campbell said.
"I could hear them roaring coming down the last 25m and thought 'gees someone is doing something special, I think I am being caught'.
"But it was us catching the world record line."
Not that it sunk in at first.
"I thought 'wow the crowd is going nuts, they didn't go this nuts when Mack (Horton) won his (400m freestyle) gold, we must have done something'," Campbell laughed.
"I turned around and it was a world record (on the big screen).
"World records are so hard to come by these days.
"To have four girls swimming the fastest ever is a pretty special event, it's pretty rare."
Then again, Campbell should be getting used to it.
Two years ago it was Campbell who anchored Australia's world record effort to claim Rio gold.
"We just keep doing it," she laughed.
"But every time we do it I say 'that's locked away, we are not seeing that for many years'.
"But it seems every two years there's a pattern and we keep breaking it."
It was a triumphant return for Campbell who took 2017 off to deal with a disappointing 100m sixth placing at Rio.
"To come back from a year off and be the best in the world at something is a pretty special moment," said Campbell, who clocked an astonishing 51 seconds flat for her anchor leg.
"I will take a couple of breaths and appreciate it."
The Australian women's 4x100m relay team were last beaten at a Commonwealth Games in 1994.
And with Campbell back to her best, that doesn't look like changing any time soon.
Australian Associated Press
