| | Event type

4 x 100 metres Medley Relay, Men

Date	15 – 17 August 2008
Status	Olympic
Location	Beijing Guojia Youyong Zhongxin, Beijing Aolinpike Gongyuan, Beijing
Participants	75 from 16 countries

With seven Olympic titles already in his locker, Michael Phelps would have been forgiven if he had suggested that the hardest part of his attempted eight gold medal sweep was already over. After all the US had, barring the 1980 boycott, never failed to win the medley relay since its’ introduction in 1960.

Backstroke champion Aaron Peirsol led the Americans out to a lead on the opening leg of the final but Japan and Australia came back at them in the breaststroke leg. It was time for Phelps to earn his glory and put America back in front and that is exactly what happened. As the final freestyle leg got underway the US held a healthy but not conclusive lead over Japan with Australia back in third. Though individual 100 m freestyle champion Eamon Sullivan attempted to pull back the Americans it was not enough to make a difference as the USA broke yet another world record. Phelps’ eighth gold medal of the 2008 Games was an absolute Olympic record breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven in 1972.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	United States	USA	3:32.75 (1 h2)	3:29.34 (1)	Gold
	Aaron Peirsol • Brendan Hansen • Michael Phelps • Jason Lezak • Matt Grevers • Mark Gangloff • Ian Crocker • Garrett Weber-Gale
2	Australia	AUS	3:32.76 (1 h1)	3:30.04 (2)	Silver
	Hayden Stoeckel • Brenton Rickard • Andrew Lauterstein • Eamon Sullivan • Ash Delaney • Christian Sprenger • Adam Pine • Matt Targett
3	Japan	JPN	3:32.81 (2 h1)	3:31.18 (3)	Bronze
	Junichi Miyashita • Kosuke Kitajima • Takuro Fujii • Hisayoshi Sato
4	Russian Federation	RUS	3:33.59 (2 h2)	3:31.92 (4)
	Arkady Vyatchanin • Roman Sludnov • Yevgeny Korotyshkin • Yevgeny Lagunov • Nikolay Skvortsov • Andrey Grechin
5	New Zealand	NZL	3:34.09 (3 h2)	3:33.39 (5)
	Daniel Bell • Glenn Snyders • Corney Swanepoel • Cam Gibson
6	Great Britain	GBR	3:33.83 (3 h1)	3:33.69 (6)
	Liam Tancock • Chris Cook • Michael Rock • Simon Burnett
7	South Africa	RSA	3:34.16 (4 h2)	3:33.70 (7)
	Gerhard Zandberg • Cameron van der Burgh • Lyndon Ferns • Darian Townsend
DQ	Italy	ITA	3:34.32 (5 h2)	– (DQ)
	Mirco Di Tora • Loris Facci • Mattia Nalesso • Filippo Magnini • Alessandro Terrin
9	France	FRA	3:34.78 (6 h2)	–
	Benjamin Stasiulis • Hugues Duboscq • Christophe Lebon • Fabien Gilot
10	Canada	CAN	3:35.56 (7 h2)	–
	Jake Tapp • Mike Brown • Joe Bartoch • Brent Hayden
11	Sweden	SWE	3:35.83 (4 h1)	–
	Simon Sjödin • Jonas Andersson • Lars Frölander • Jonas Persson
12	Croatia	CRO	3:37.69 (8 h2)	–
	Gordan Kožulj • Vanja Rogulj • Mario Todorović • Duje Draganja
13	Romania	ROU	3:38.00 (5 h1)	–
	Răzvan Florea • Valentin Preda • Ștefan Gherghel • Norbert Trandafir
14	Brazil	BRA	3:38.66 (6 h1)	–
	Guilherme Guido • Felipe França • Kaio Márcio • Nicolas Oliveira
15	Ukraine	UKR	3:38.76 (7 h1)	–
	Oleksandr Isakov • Valeriy Dymo • Serhiy Breus • Yuriy Yehoshyn
16	Belarus	BLR	3:39.39 (8 h1)	–
	Paval Sankovich • Viktar Vabishchevich • Yauhen Lazuka • Stanislau Neviarouski

Round One (15 August 2008)

Fastest eight teams advanced to final

Heat One (20:47)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	Australia	AUS		3:32.76			Q
		Ash Delaney		26.09	53.74	0.52	53.74 (1)
		Christian Sprenger		27.51	59.95	0.20	1:53.69 (2)
		Adam Pine		23.92	51.66	0.07	2:45.35 (2)
		Matt Targett		22.09	47.41	0.20	3:32.76 (1)
2	5	Japan	JPN		3:32.81			Q
		Junichi Miyashita		26.14	54.29	0.62	54.29 (2)
		Kosuke Kitajima		27.62	58.79	0.13	1:53.08 (1)
		Takuro Fujii		24.10	50.86	0.24	2:43.94 (1)
		Hisayoshi Sato		22.92	48.87	0.07	3:32.81 (2)
3	6	Great Britain	GBR		3:33.83			Q
		Liam Tancock		26.33	54.67	0.62	54.67 (3)
		Chris Cook		27.60	59.40	0.07	1:54.07 (3)
		Michael Rock		23.90	51.99	0.15	2:46.06 (3)
		Simon Burnett		22.41	47.77	0.13	3:33.83 (3)
4	2	Sweden	SWE		3:35.83
		Simon Sjödin		27.06	55.27	0.62	55.27 (7)
		Jonas Andersson		27.96	1:01.22	0.29	1:56.49 (5)
		Lars Frölander		23.72	51.13	0.26	2:47.62 (4)
		Jonas Persson		22.66	48.21	0.02	3:35.83 (4)
5	1	Romania	ROU		3:38.00
		Răzvan Florea		26.74	54.81	0.65	54.81 (5)
		Valentin Preda		28.23	1:01.41	0.41	1:56.22 (4)
		Ștefan Gherghel		24.41	52.44	0.26	2:48.66 (5)
		Norbert Trandafir		23.04	49.34	0.03	3:38.00 (5)
6	3	Brazil	BRA		3:38.66
		Guilherme Guido		26.18	54.78	0.51	54.78 (4)
		Felipe França		28.31	1:02.06	0.39	1:56.84 (6)
		Kaio Márcio		24.84	53.31	0.18	2:50.15 (8)
		Nicolas Oliveira		23.26	48.51	0.36	3:38.66 (6)
7	7	Ukraine	UKR		3:38.76
		Oleksandr Isakov		27.13	56.66	0.70	56.66 (8)
		Valeriy Dymo		27.91	1:00.61	0.14	1:57.27 (8)
		Serhiy Breus		23.49	52.38	0.11	2:49.65 (7)
		Yuriy Yehoshyn		23.51	49.11	0.36	3:38.76 (7)
8	8	Belarus	BLR		3:39.39
		Paval Sankovich		26.32	55.11	0.59	55.11 (6)
		Viktar Vabishchevich		28.87	1:01.89	0.28	1:57.00 (7)
		Yauhen Lazuka		23.87	52.63	0.02	2:49.63 (6)
		Stanislau Neviarouski		23.77	49.76	0.39	3:39.39 (8)

Heat Two (20:53)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA		3:32.75			Q
		Matt Grevers		26.06	53.59	0.65	53.59 (1)
		Mark Gangloff		27.52	1:00.35	0.36	1:53.94 (3)
		Ian Crocker		23.60	50.85	0.42	2:44.79 (1)
		Garrett Weber-Gale		23.02	47.96	0.26	3:32.75 (1)
2	3	Russian Federation	RUS		3:33.59			Q
		Arkady Vyatchanin		26.42	53.86	0.81	53.86 (2)
		Roman Sludnov		27.74	59.63	0.17	1:53.49 (1)
		Nikolay Skvortsov		23.52	51.62	0.22	2:45.11 (2)
		Andrey Grechin		22.37	48.48	0.36	3:33.59 (2)
3	8	New Zealand	NZL		3:34.09			Q
		Daniel Bell		26.42	54.52	0.56	54.52 (5)
		Glenn Snyders		28.04	59.46	0.22	1:53.98 (4)
		Corney Swanepoel		23.78	52.12	0.17	2:46.10 (3)
		Cam Gibson		22.90	47.99	0.05	3:34.09 (3)
4	6	South Africa	RSA		3:34.16			Q
		Gerhard Zandberg		26.17	54.19	0.64	54.19 (4)
		Cameron van der Burgh		27.34	59.68	0.27	1:53.87 (2)
		Lyndon Ferns		23.67	52.33	0.22	2:46.20 (4)
		Darian Townsend		22.41	47.96	0.23	3:34.16 (4)
5	7	Italy	ITA		3:34.32			Q
		Mirco Di Tora		25.88	54.05	0.55	54.05 (3)
		Alessandro Terrin		27.73	1:01.25	0.10	1:55.30 (6)
		Mattia Nalesso		23.39	51.96	0.05	2:47.26 (6)
		Filippo Magnini		22.42	47.06	0.00	3:34.32 (5)
6	1	France	FRA		3:34.78
		Benjamin Stasiulis		26.75	55.46	0.61	55.46 (8)
		Hugues Duboscq		27.90	59.29	0.21	1:54.75 (5)
		Christophe Lebon		24.08	51.97	0.26	2:46.72 (5)
		Fabien Gilot		22.53	48.06	0.31	3:34.78 (6)
7	5	Canada	CAN		3:35.56
		Jake Tapp		26.55	55.16	0.68	55.16 (7)
		Mike Brown		28.58	1:00.98	0.19	1:56.14 (7)
		Joe Bartoch		24.28	52.58	0.27	2:48.72 (8)
		Brent Hayden		21.73	46.84	0.14	3:35.56 (7)
8	2	Croatia	CRO		3:37.69
		Gordan Kožulj		26.40	54.91	0.60	54.91 (6)
		Vanja Rogulj		27.92	1:01.30	0.07	1:56.21 (8)
		Mario Todorović		23.43	51.52	0.36	2:47.73 (7)
		Duje Draganja		22.97	49.96	0.29	3:37.69 (8)

Final (17 August 2008 — 11:07)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA		3:29.34			WR
		Aaron Peirsol		25.92	53.16	0.63	53.16 (1)
		Brendan Hansen		27.47	59.27	0.26	1:52.43 (3)
		Michael Phelps		23.52	50.15	0.25	2:42.58 (1)
		Jason Lezak		22.04	46.76	0.26	3:29.34 (1)
2	5	Australia	AUS		3:30.04
		Hayden Stoeckel		26.18	53.80	0.63	53.80 (3)
		Brenton Rickard		27.39	58.56	0.04	1:52.36 (2)
		Andrew Lauterstein		23.50	51.03	0.19	2:43.39 (3)
		Eamon Sullivan		21.91	46.65	0.30	3:30.04 (2)
3	3	Japan	JPN		3:31.18
		Junichi Miyashita		26.10	53.87	0.63	53.87 (4)
		Kosuke Kitajima		27.24	58.07	0.23	1:51.94 (1)
		Takuro Fujii		23.97	50.89	0.25	2:42.83 (2)
		Hisayoshi Sato		22.87	48.35	0.05	3:31.18 (3)
4	6	Russian Federation	RUS		3:31.92
		Arkady Vyatchanin		26.35	53.36	0.82	53.36 (2)
		Roman Sludnov		27.62	59.45	0.38	1:52.81 (4)
		Yevgeny Korotyshkin		23.38	51.62	0.32	2:44.43 (4)
		Yevgeny Lagunov		22.35	47.49	0.26	3:31.92 (4)
5	7	New Zealand	NZL		3:33.39
		Daniel Bell		26.46	54.74	0.57	54.74 (8)
		Glenn Snyders		28.27	59.87	0.33	1:54.61 (7)
		Corney Swanepoel		23.42	51.78	0.09	2:46.39 (7)
		Cam Gibson		22.47	47.00	0.14	3:33.39 (5)
6	2	Great Britain	GBR		3:33.69
		Liam Tancock		26.01	54.69	0.60	54.69 (6)
		Chris Cook		27.73	59.65	0.21	1:54.34 (6)
		Michael Rock		23.58	52.02	0.08	2:46.36 (6)
		Simon Burnett		22.17	47.33	0.11	3:33.69 (6)
7	1	South Africa	RSA		3:33.70
		Gerhard Zandberg		26.08	54.69	0.70	54.69 (6)
		Cameron van der Burgh		27.41	59.40	0.20	1:54.09 (5)
		Lyndon Ferns		23.37	51.39	0.17	2:45.48 (5)
		Darian Townsend		22.34	48.22	0.20	3:33.70 (7)
DQ	8	Italy	ITA		–				1
		Mirco Di Tora		25.98	54.52	0.60	54.52 (5)
		Loris Facci		28.49	1:00.55	0.26	1:55.07 (8)
		Mattia Nalesso		23.70	52.26	0.10	2:47.33 (8)
		Filippo Magnini		–	–	-0.04	– (AC)