US set WR in 800-meter freestyle relay

Paul Newberry - AP July 31, 2009

Wc-_800relay

Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images

(L-R) Michael Phelps, Ricky Berens and David Walters watch teammate Ryan Lochte in the Men's 4x 200m Freestyle Final during the 13th FINA World Championships at the Stadio del Nuoto on July 31, 2009 in Rome.

ROME — Michael Phelps has earned his third gold medal of the world championships, and the United States has set the 35th world record in Rome, winning the 800-meter freestyle relay.

Phelps swam the leadoff leg and was again bested by Germany's Paul Biedermann, who handed off with more than a 1 1/2 second lead over the American star.

But the U.S. has the deeper team. Ricky Berens seized the lead on the second 200, David Walters maintained the margin and Ryan Lochte held off Russia's Alexander Sukhorukov on the sprint to the wall, touching in 6 minutes, 58.55 seconds — a hundredth of a second ahead of the U.S. record set in Beijing.

Russia took the silver, and Australia claimed the bronze.

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

 

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