Monday, August 11, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

15

BEIJING 2008
Phelps grabs second gold in relay win

400-meter relay team
helps Phelps in quest
for eight medals .
BEIJING (AP) - By a fingertip,
Michael Phelps is still on course
for eight gold medals. He can
thank Jason Lezak for getting him
No. 2.
The oldest man on the U.S.
swimming team pulled off one of
the great comebacks in Olympic
history Monday morning, lunging
to the wall just ahead of France's
Alain Bernard in a race so fast

it actually erased two world
records.
Wow!
Few sporting events live up the
hype - this one exceeded it. The
32-year-old Lezak was nearly a
body length behind the massive
Bernard as they made the final
turn.
But the American hugged the
lane rope, drafting off the French-
man and stunningly overtaking
him on the very last stroke.
Watching on deck, Phelps let
out a resounding "Yeaaaaaah!"
and thrust both arms toward the
roof of the Water Cube.

His quest to break Mark Spitz's
record of seven gold medals had
survived what will likely be its
toughest test.
The Americans shattered the
world record set by their "B" team
the previous evening in the pre-
liminaries, touching with a time of
3 minute, 8.24 seconds - nearly 4
full seconds below the 15-hour-old
mark of 3:12.23.
"I was going nuts," Phelps, who
swam the leadoff leg and then
became the team's biggest cheer-
leader, told NBC. "As soon as
(Lezak) came off that last wall, I
started going crazy.

"We're a team. We went in as a
team and now we're exiting as a
team - and we're going out with
that gold that we needed to get
back."
The Americans won the 400
free relay at seven straight Olym-
pics, but watched the Australians
and South Africans take gold at
the last two games.
"I've been on the last two relays
where we come up short," Lezak
said. "To be honest with you I got
really tired of losing."
Iernard was the world record
holder in the 100, but he lost that
mark as well. Australia's Eamon

Sullivan broke the individual
record by swimming the leadoff
leg in 47.24 - ahead of Bernard's
mark of 47.50.
While the Americans whooped
it up on deck, Bernard clung to the
wall, his head down.
The swimmer who had talked
confidently of beating the Ameri-
cans was the last one to leave the
pool.
The French were second in
3:08.32 - eight one-hundredths
of a second behind. Australia took
the bronze in 3:09.91. In fact, the
top five all went below the record
set Sunday.

As UniversfM ManAhosmn t t1J1Ti. jRANDOLPH COURT APARTMENTS
We've been supporting the - " edwmApartment
UM Community since 1939... x2BedroomHomes
Ground Floor Ranch Style!
DaiqscLA BARBERS Private Entrance!
SHOW TO BE ON THE LOOK UT Patio!
Spacious Kitchen!
Air Conditioning!
Laundry Facilities!
24-Hour Emergency Maintenance!
Pets Welcome!
And much, much more!
Call today to reserve your new address!
W A AB .734"971-2828
W AqLK-INSWEL Eal H *using ppounity
IJOBS!!!l L

Fall Term
Apply now at the
Law Library-
non-Law Students
- Law Students
- S.I. Students
Minimum pay is $9.00
per hour!
Apply at the hiring
table outside room
S-180 in the Law
Library's underground
addition.

U-M Computer Showcase
Michigan union
Also coming to Pierpont Commons

(734) 647-2537
http://showcase.itcs.umich.edu
www.apple.com/edu/umichigan