LONDON (Reuters) - The United States won the women's 4x200 meters freestyle gold medal at the London Olympics on Wednesday after a brilliant anchor leg from Allison Schmitt.

Missy Franklin, Dana Vollmer, Shannon Vreeland and Schmitt won in a combined time of seven minutes, 42.92 seconds, ahead of Australia and France.

Australia led after the second and third changeovers but Schmitt, who won the individual 200 freestyle final, took the lead and surged away to win.

Schmitt, Franklin and Vollmer all collected their second golds in London after Franklin won the 100 backstroke and Vollmer the 100 butterfly.

(Reporting by Julian Linden; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)