U.S. men set world record in medley relay win

Aaron Peirsol reacts after his world-record time in the backstroke leg of the 4 x 100-meter medley relay. AP

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Michael Phelps won another gold medal, this time wearing khaki shorts and flip-flops.

From a front-row seat at the Olympic pool, Phelps watched his teammates do all the work in the 400-meter medley relay Saturday night. When they won with a world-record time, Phelps got a gold, too -- his record-tying eighth medal of the Athens Games.

"It felt like I was part of that race," said Phelps, who earned his gold by swimming the event in the preliminaries.

Phelps led the U.S. contingent in cheers, pounded the side of an "Athens 2004" sign, waved an American flag and screamed "Go Jason!" as Jason Lezak completed the rout, easily retaining the lead built up by Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen and Ian Crocker.

When the scoreboard flashed "WR" -- world record -- Phelps threw up his arms to celebrate.

"I can't tell you about how exciting it is to be on the other side of the sport," he said.

Jenny Thompson had to swim for her spot in the Olympic record book, but it was another forgettable performance.

Looking her age, the 31-year-old Thompson lost the lead in the women's medley relay but still got a silver -- the 12th medal of her career, more than any other U.S. Olympian.

Phelps earned a spot in the medley final by winning the 100 butterfly Friday night. But he ceded his place to Crocker, wanting to give the silver medalist a chance to make up for a poor showing in the 400 free relay.

Before the race, Phelps signed autographs and posed for pictures with swimmers from other countries. After the medal ceremony, he hugged Crocker.

"I'm proud of giving someone like Ian another chance," said Phelps, whose eight medals tied Soviet gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin's record at the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games.

The United States has never lost a men's medley relay at the Olympics, and it didn't really matter who swam the fly -- Phelps or Crocker. The Americans dominated the race, setting a world record of 3 minutes, 30.68 seconds, nearly three seconds ahead of runner-up Germany. Japan won the bronze, its first medal in the event since 1960.

Thompson's medal made her the most decorated U.S. Olympian, breaking a tie with swimmer Mark Spitz and Matt Biondi and shooter Carl Osburn. But the record seemed rather empty for the four-time Olympian.

Thompson couldn't hold on in the fly when given a lead by Natalie Coughlin (backstroke) and Amanda Beard (breaststroke), who covered the first 200 under world-record pace.

Petria Thomas was more than two seconds faster than Thompson, giving Australia a half-second lead, and Kara Lynn Joyce had no chance of catching world-record holder Jodie Henry in the freestyle.

"This is my last Olympics, so tonight was a little bittersweet," Thompson said. "The whole week has been a little nostalgic, so I've been trying to soak up as much as possible. I had hoped to do a little better here, but I'm pretty proud just to be here at all."

The Aussies, who also used Giaan Rooney and Leisel Jones, took the gold with a world record of 3:57.32, breaking the mark of 3:58.30 set by the United States at the 2000 Sydney Games. This time, the Americans settled for silver in 3:59.12, with Germany taking the bronze.

Coughlin won her fifth medal of the games, tying the record shared by Shirley Babashoff and Dara Torres for the most swimming medals by an American woman at a single Olympics.

Thompson's fourth -- and final -- Olympics certainly won't be remembered as one of her best. She was overtaken by Henry on the anchor leg of the 400 free relay, relegating the United States to another silver.

Thompson was fifth and seventh in her two individual events, which means she'll end her career without a gold of her own. Ten of her medals came in relays, including eight golds. Her only individual medals were a silver from the 1992 Barcelona Games and a bronze in Sydney four years ago.

And Thompson's record may not hold up for long. Phelps, only 19, got a good start toward breaking it with his performance in Athens: six gold medals -- one short of Spitz's 1972 haul in Munich -- and two bronzes.

While every swimmer relishes the chance to swim a relay final, Phelps wanted Crocker to get his first gold of the games.

That he did, swimming nearly a second faster than Phelps' gold-winning time in the 100 fly the previous night. Swimming the anchor leg, Lezak touched nearly a second ahead of the world record (3:31.54) set by the Americans at last year's world championships.

"I did the job they thought I could," Crocker said. "I'm really happy with the way things ended up."

Actually, there were two records set in the race, since the opening swimmer can get credit for an individual record in a relay. Peirsol started out with a time of 53.45 in the backstroke leg, breaking teammate Lenny Krayzelburg's 5-year-old record of 53.60 in the 100 back.

In other races on the last night of swimming, Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands defended her title in the 50 freestyle with her first gold of the Athens Games.

De Bruijn's time of 24.58 seconds was 26-hundredths of a second slower than her winning time in Sydney. Malia Metella of France earned silver in 24.89 and Lisbeth Lenton of Australia took bronze in 24.91.

De Bruijn, who turns 31 on Tuesday, became the first woman to win consecutive sprint titles since the event was added to the Olympic program in 1988. Thompson was more than a half-second behind the winner, her final bid for that first individual gold ending with a seventh-place finish.

"This is just the best birthday present I could hope for," the Dutchwoman said. "A gold in the last day of the program -- what a climax."

Another Olympic title also was successfully defended: Grant Hackett won his second straight 1,500 freestyle, continuing Australia's domination of the longest race in swimming.

Hackett won gold in 14:43.40 -- nearly five seconds faster than his winning time at the 2000 Games. He became the fifth man in Olympic history to win two titles in the 1,500. Fellow Aussie Kieren Perkins won in 1992 and '96.

Hackett got a strong challenge from American Larsen Jensen, who earned the silver in 14:45.29 -- lowering his own American record by more than 111/2 seconds. David Davies of Britain claimed bronze in 14:45.95.

The United States won 12 golds and 28 medals overall at the pool -- short of their 14-gold, 33-medal performance in Sydney four years ago. Still, it was easily the most of any country -- runner-up Australia claimed seven golds and 15 total medals.