US Men Destroy World Record in 4×100m Freestyle Win
August 11, 2008 by Sandy Mitchell
Filed under Sports Rumors
Don’t talk “trash” to the US men’s swimming team; you’ll only inspire them. That’s what the French swimmers learning Monday when the US men snatched the Gold from the favored French team by just .08 seconds.
For days, French swimmer, Alain Bernard had been saying that they were in Beijing to “smash” the Americans. They had reason to be cocky. Most sources picked the Gallic group–or perhaps the Australians–for the Gold Medal.
That’s before Michael Phelps and company hit the pool. Swimming just over an hour after his swim in the 200m freestyle semifinals, Phelps led the Americans for the first 100m leg, setting a new American record at 47.51. (Lead swimmer for the Australians, Eamon Sullivan, set a new world record for the 100m leg at 47.24; first legs of relays are eligible for world and Olympic records.)
However, the French were not to be taken lightly. Coming into the anchor leg, Bernard was almost a body-length ahead of the American’s Jason Lezak. Lezak is no stranger to the 4×100 free relay; he’d been a part of the Silver and Bronze 2000 and 2004 relay teams. He knew he had to put in a record performance and that he did. Lezak, at 32 the oldest man on the American swimming team, swam the fastest anchor leg in history: 46.06.
The Americans beat the French team by just .08 of a second for a new world record of 3:08.24. The win gives Michael Phelps his second Gold Medal of the Beijing Games.
Also swimming for the Americans were Garret Weber-Gale and Cullen Jones.
In addition to Bernard, the French team included Frederick Bousquet, Fabien Gilot, Amaury Leveaux. The Australian team (Ashley Callus, Eamon Sullivan, Andrew Lauterstein, Matt Targett) earned the Bronze Medal.
The relay was swam one hour after Phelps’ 200 freestyle semifinal, not the 100 butterfly prelims.
Thanks Kitti.
I think you meant that Lezak’s leg was 46:06
I did, thanks! (typo.)
Isn’t the Olympic record held by Eamon Sullivan? He did, after all, set a new World Record last night.
Thanks Lisa. You’re right. Phelps leg was a new American record.
According to the FINA site, Bernard was the world record holder in the 100m freestyle going into the relay. Eamon Sullivan broke it during his lead off swim in the relay.
It was thrilling to see Lezak catch up and pass Bernard during the final 50m. Bryon MacDonald, the commentator for CBC, said that Bernard made a huge mistake in swimming next to the lane marker, as this allowed Lezak to draft. Lezak was aware enough to capitalize on his opponent’s mistake and propel by him to the team gold. Very exciting!!