The gold was one of three medals won by American swimmers Monday and accounted for one of four world records in the session. The other world records were set by Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima in the men’s 100m breast (58.91) and Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry in the semifinals of the women’s 100m back (58.77).
Also winning medals for the U.S. Monday were Christine Magnuson with a silver in the women’s 100m butterfly (57.10) and Katie Hoff in the 400m freestyle (4:03.29). Team USA’s performance Monday brings its total medal count to eight – two gold, three silver and three bronze.
The race of the morning was undoubtedly the men’s 400m free relay, with the top five teams in Monday’s finals swimming faster than the previous world record of 3:12.23, set in Sunday night’s prelims by the United States’ Nathan Adrian, Jones, Ben Wildman Tobriner and Matt Grevers.
The U.S. trailed France by a little more than half a second at the end of the third leg, when Lezak dove in against former 100m free world record-holder Alain Bernard. Bernard built a half-body-length lead on Lezak as they left the final turn, but hugging the lane line, Lezak inched his way up Bernard’s side as they headed down the homestretch.
The two were neck-and-neck at the finish, and with one last desperate reach, Lezak managed to get his hand on the wall first, turning in the fastest relay split in history in 46.06. The win marked the first time the Americans have won the 400m free relay at an Olympic Games since 1996.
“Before the race, we all knew by the way the French had swum in the prelims that when they added their best two guys, it was going to be tight race,” Lezak said. “They had talked a lot about it, and we would just rather do it in the pool.
“I knew it was going to come down to the end, and I was hoping to be ahead when I dove in, but I never lost hope. I don’t know how I was able to take it back that fast, because I’ve never been able to come anywhere near that for the last 50.”
Lezak has been on the losing end of this race as anchor at the last two Olympics and said it’s an honor to bring the winning tradition back to the U.S. “I’m not going to lie,” Lezak said. “When I flipped at the wall I thought, ‘There’s no way.’ Then in the next instant, I was like ‘No, this is the Olympics. I’m not giving up.’ I got a super charge and just took it from there. “I can’t even explain it, it was unreal. I’ve been a part of the two teams at the last two Olympics that came out behind, and I think I wanted it more than anybody, not just for myself, but to show that we are the nation to be beat in that relay.”
The win marked Phelps’ second of the week after taking gold in the 400m IM on Sunday, and keeps his goal of winning eight gold medals alive for another day. “It was unbelievable,” Phelps said. “Jason finished the race better than we could have asked for. In the last 50 meters, I was like, ‘This is going to be a really close race.’ Jason in the last 50 was incredible. As you could see, I was pretty excited. I was very emotional.”
Jones echoed Phelps’ sentiment. “I was so excited, I jumped in the air and almost fell in the pool,” he said. All four members of the team stressed that going in, their mindset was that the race would be a total team effort – not to race as a 4x100m free relay team, but as a 400m free relay team. “We had an awesome race and were pushed by the French and the Australians,” Weber-Gale said. “So that’s how we were able to go so fast. I don’t think anyone other than Jason could have done what he did.”
