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No one cheered harder and louder than Michael Phelps for Jason Lezak on the final 50 meters of the 4x100 freestyle relay. At the beginning of the final leg the favored French had a one and a half second lead over the Americans. It seemed impossible for Jason Lezak to pull it off. It looked impossible. But the impossible was nothing for the Americans. Lezak swam the fastest relay split in history and beat Alain Bernard by a fingertip in a race that was as exciting as anything you'll ever see.
The final time: the Americans 3:08.24, and the French 3:08.32. Just 08/100ths apart.
The win was especially sweet for Phelps (who swam the opening leg) and his teammates as Bernard had stated to the press earlier that the French were going to "smash the Americans." Instead, they did what the French always do.
This draws Michael Phelps one step closer to breaking Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals in one Olympic Games. Even better, this relay was was likely Phelps' toughest test, as from here on out, he and his USA relay teams are pretty much the favorite in all the remaining events.
Phelps will swim for another gold medal Monday night in the 200 meter freestyle, an event in which he currently holds the world record.
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