Amazing Finish for U.S. Swim Team in Men's 4x100 Meter Relay

Those watching the men's 4x100 meter relay late on Sunday, Aug. 10, witnessed one of the most exciting moments so far in this year's Olympics in Beijing, China. Jason Lezak anchored the last lap of the relay, which proved to me the most amazing and record-breaking swim of his life.

The U.S. men's swim team consisting of star Michael Phelps, as well as Garret Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones and veteran Jason Lezak, obliterated the world record finishing on top of both France, who took silver, and Australia, who took bronze. The victory gave star swimmer Michael Phelps his second gold medal in this year's games, proving to be one of the more difficult wins on his quest for eight gold medals in a single Olympics. The French and the Australians had been regarded as the favorites before the race, but an amazing run by Lezak on the final lap proved to be too hard to beat.

Before the event had started, the French were confident of their skills. They had been talking smack in French papers about how they were prepared to embarrass the Americans in the relay. They had clearly come to Beijing with one goal in mind. Beat the Americans. However, the Americans came prepared as well.

For Lezak, this relay held particular interest. In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Lezak swam the third leg of the race, where the Americans finished with silver. He also swam the final leg in the race during the 2004 Olympics in Athens where the Americans earned bronze. So for Lezak and the Americans, it was time for redemption.

The previous record for the men's 4x100 relay was set by an American swim team in 2006 at 3:12:46. A day before the relay, the U.S. team broke that record by swimming their way to a time of 3:12:23. One day later, in the Men's final, the U.S team absolutely annihilated the record by recording a 3:08:24. To shave 4 seconds off of a world record is, well frankly, unheard of.

Up until the final leg of the race the French had lead the way, with the U.S. trailing close behind. As the French turned the final corner at the end of the pool, Lezak knew he had to step it up. The noise inside the arena was intense, and the U.S. team was screaming and going insane at the other end of the pool, hoping their cheering would help Lezak pull out an amazing victory.

At 30 meters to go, French swimmer Bernard was still ahead of Lezak. At 20 meters, nothing had changed, but Lezak was determined. At the wall, Lezak made a final stretch and touched the wall only .08 of a second before Bernard. The U.S. team exploded with joy, and Lezak had done it. He had set the fastest split of all time, with a time of 46:06. At the Olympics, nothing is set in gold, as the disappointed French now know.