It will just arrive a little later than her teammates.

Reese has become Ballarat's first medallist at the Games as part of the bronze 4x100m freestyle relay team, despite not swimming in the final.

The 25-year-old relay specialist anchored the Australian team in its third-placed heat finish on Saturday with the fastest leg time of 53.92.

She was replaced by 100m freestyle world record holder Libby Trickett. Australia finished third behind the Netherlands and United States in Sunday morning's final.

Reese is competing in her second Olympic Games.

She was a member of the 4x200m in Athens which finished fourth.

Changing relay teams is common practice among swimming fraternities - the Dutch and Americans each had a squad of six to secure medals in the same event.

Reese's mother Chris Reese has expressed her disappointment at her daughter being dumped from the final Australian team, which included three swimmers her daughter out-performed in the heats.

Chris Reese was reported to have questioned the selection criteria of the Australian team and was yet to be given a reason for her daughter being chopped.

Reese's split was clearly faster than Melanie Schlanger (54.69 seconds) and Athens Olympic relay gold medallist Alice Mills (54.55).

Sixteen-year-old speed sensation Cate Campbell, the third fastest 100m freestyle swimmer in history, led off poorly in both the heat and final. Mills has not swum in the team for about two years while Reese is a reigning world championship gold medallist in the event.

Schlanger was the best performed in the final, after Trickett, to take the Aussies from seventh to third in her third leg.

Chris Reese was reported to have acknowledged the decision on who to leave out for Trickett, who was always going to come into the team, would have been difficult. But she felt her daughter had proved her worthiness for a spot.