The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Longhorns quartet takes gold in 400m medley relay at Beijing Olympics
08.16.2008 | Men's Swimming and Diving
Aug. 16, 2008
BEIJING -- Texas-Exes Aaron Peirsol and Brendan Hansen swam the backstroke and breaststroke legs of Team USA's 4x100m medley to help the Americans to the gold medal and a new world record Sunday morning at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Peirsol opened the relay with a 53.16 split on the backstroke leg before giving way to Hansen, who split 59.27. Michael Phelps split a lightning-fast 50.15 on his way to his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Games, and Jason Lezak held off Australia's Eamon Sullivan with a 46.76 freestyle leg, as Team USA finished in 3:29.34 and topped Australia's silver-medal effort of 3:30.04. The mark broke the previous world record of 3:30.68 set by Team USA at the 2004 Athens Games.
Peirsol wins his second gold medal and third medal overall in Beijing, while Hansen collects his first gold in Beijing and second career Olympic gold after swimming on the medley relay at the Athens Games. Texas-Exes Ian Crocker and Garrett Weber-Gale swam in the event's preliminary round and also will be awarded gold medals.
The gold is Crocker's first medal at the Beijing Games and second career Olympic gold, as he also joined Peirsol and Hansen on the winning relay in Athens. Weber-Gale picks up his second gold of the Beijing Games after swimming on Team USA's memorable 4x100m freestyle relay.
The swimming portion of the 2008 Beijing Olympics closes with eight gold medals and one silver medal won by current and former University of Texas swimmers.
2008 Beijing Olympics Swimming Medals - Current and Former Texas Swimmers (8 gold, 1 silver)
Ricky Berens: gold, 800m freestyle relay (swam prelims and finals)
Ian Crocker: gold, 400m medley relay (swam butterfly leg in prelims)
Brendan Hansen: gold, 400m medley relay (swam breaststroke leg in finals)
Aaron Peirsol: gold, 400m medley relay (swam backstroke in finals) and 100m backstroke; silver, 200m backstroke
Dave Walters: gold, 800m freestyle relay (swam prelims)
Garrett Weber-Gale: gold, 400m freestyle relay (swam finals) and 400 medley relay (swam freestyle leg in prelims)
