The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Crocker, Weber-Gale lead USA to top seed in 400m medley relay at Beijing Olympics
08.15.2008 | Men's Swimming and Diving
Aug. 15, 2008
BEIJING -- Texas-Exes Ian Crocker and Garrett Weber-Gale swam the butterfly and freestyle legs of Team USA's 400-meter medley relay that landed the top seeded in the preliminary round Friday at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Team USA held third place in the second heat after the relay's opening two legs before Crocker split 50.85 on the butterfly leg - the fastest butterfly split among the 16 preliminary legs swum - to put the Americans in the lead for good. Weber-Gale finished off the relay by splitting 47.96 on the freestyle leg, as Team USA finished in 3:32.75 to land the top seed in Sunday's finals.
The 400-meter medley relay finals will air live Saturday on NBC at approximately 9:58 p.m. Central. The relay may feature four new swimmers in the final. Texas-Exes Aaron Peirsol and Brendan Hansen are likely to open the relay on the backstroke and breaststroke legs. Crocker or Michael Phelps will take the butterfly leg, and Jason Lezak likely will assume the freestyle leg, given his bronze-medal finish in the 100m freestyle.
Crocker and Weber-Gale would earn any medal won by Team USA in the final even if they do not appear in the Sunday morning final.