Editorial Coverage Sponsored By FINIS
By David Rieder
The ready room camera zeroed in on four men in blue jackets huddled together. The world will never know what words Caeleb Dressel, Michael Phelps, Ryan Held and Nathan Adrian exchanged right there, but very quickly this fact became clear: that foursome was on a mission.
The U.S. coaching staff decided to put Dressel on the leadoff leg because of his explosive flat start—and Dressel had a 0.65 reaction time, the fastest in the field. The coaches trusted Dressel in a key spot, even though the finals race would be his first Olympic swim.
And Dressel delivered—the same intensity and power that helped Dressel swim the fastest short course yards times ever this past March got the Americans off to the right start. Dressel touched in a lifetime best time of 48.10, just two one-hundredths behind France’s Mehdy Metella, and gave way to Phelps.
Phelps, too, had yet to make his Rio debut—though he had some previous Olympic experience worth mentioning which might have given the coaches confidence in his abilities. Phelps, notoriously slow at relay starts, got off in 0.08, but from there, it was vintage Phelps.
He flipped just behind France’s Fabien Gilot, but then he unleashed the underwaters that have won him many a race—and a few Olympic gold medals—over the years. Phelps came home in 24.59, and the Americans were more than a second in front with a lead they would never relinquish.
Next up was Held, the junior-to-be at North Carolina State, in his first-ever international meet. Many believed that Anthony Ervin would swim on the finals relay after he split 47.65 in the morning prelims, but Held was given the spot after splitting 47.79. The coaches trusted that Held, who finished third at Olympic Trials in 48.26, would channel his vast NCAA relay experience and give the Americans a competitive leg.
“I was just thinking, whatever I do, don’t lose any ground,” Held said. “I knew I was going to be one of the slower legs tonight, but I was thinking, whatever I do, do not lose any ground. I had faith in Nathan that he was going to bring it home.”
Held did not have the fastest third split—France’s Florent Manaudou closed to within a half second—but it was good enough to give Adrian, a dependable relay anchor for the U.S. for eight years now, plenty of cushion.
And Adrian came through with the fastest split of the night for any squad, a 46.97
It was the first win for the U.S. in that relay at a World Championships or Olympics since 2009, when Adrian—in his debut on that squad—held off France’s Fred Bousquet and Russia’s Danila Izotov for the gold. The disappointments that followed included a heartbreaking finish in London four years ago, when Yannick Agnel ran down Ryan Lochte on the last 25. That began a French winning streak that lasted until this race.
“It felt good to get—the last 400 free relay of my career—this thing around my neck,” Phelps said, pointing to his gold medal. “We got this back.”
But even before the relay, Team USA had reason to be feeling positive. Dana Vollmer had capped her comeback from childbirth with a bronze medal in the 100 fly—her time of 56.63 was more than two seconds faster than she swam in finishing fourth at U.S. Nationals exactly one year and one day previously. That had been just her second meet back after giving birth.
Cody Miller had followed that up with a bronze medal of his own in the men’s 100 breast, clocking American record-time of 58.87, and then, in the last individual final of the night, Katie Ledecky did her thing in the 400 free with a 3:56.46, which was only two seconds below the existing world record.
Leah Smith’s third-place finish in the 400 free was not too shabby either, and it ensured that when the Star Spangled Banner played inside the arena for the first time, two Americans would be standing on the podium.
On top of that, the night’s semifinals were effective—all eight Americans competing had advanced to the finals, with three—Lilly King, Ryan Murphy and Kathleen Baker—posting the top-seeded time for Monday evening in their respective events.
So, yes, things were going well for the United States already. During the first two days of the Olympics, the entire team has spoken repeatedly about the excited energy pervading the team.
“Trials I was operating on nerves which is never a good thing for me,” said Chase Kalisz after his first swim of the meet Saturday morning, where he clocked a best time in the prelims of the 400 IM. “Now, I’m operating on excitement.”
It culminated with the relay.
“When I was on the block, I honestly thought my head was going to explode,” Phelps said. “I was so hyped tonight.”
Afterwards, the emotions poured out. The videoboard inside the arena showed women’s team captain Elizabeth Beisel crying in the stands, and rookies Dressel and Held both had emotional moments on the podium after receiving their gold medals.
“I told them it’s ok,” Phelps said. “It’s good to see the emotion out of our young guys. It showed that they care. Those guys were so amped.”
The Americans now have eight medals in the pool—Australia is next best with three. And the chances to add to that total in Monday night’s four finals will be many. Aside from the aforementioned top seeds, Conor Dwyer, David Plummer and even Katie Meili look like bona fide medal threats.
And that doesn’t even include Ledecky, who is swimming better than she ever has in her already-stellar career and bound for the 200 free prelims Monday morning, and Phelps, clearly back in the form that propelled him to the fastest time in the world in three events at last summer’s Nationals in San Antonio.
As Phelps, a team captain for the first time ever at these Olympics, walked away from the press conference to warmdown, he had one final comment on Team USA.
“We have a lot of momentum right now.”
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Congrats and well done! Also nicely written.
Agreed. David keep up the great work!
GO AMERICANS, GO!!?
Men’s Relay summary- Streamline, streamline, streamline and a bunch of dolphin kicks!! The race was won under the water! Every young swimmer needs to watch that race over and over again.
Great job, David! You’re living the dream in Rio!!!
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