Lezak Brings Home Relay Gold

Michael Phelps' quest for the record eight gold medals in this Olympics is still alive thanks to his teammates in the 4x100 relay last night, who put in a world record performance to beat France. While each of the team members, Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale (Yid) and Cullen Jones did their part, it was the Jason Lezak (Yid) the anchor of the team, who lived up to his role and then some. All the 32 year old captain of the US men's swim team did was turn in what was the greatest swim in US history.

As they made the turn for the last 50 meters, Lezak trailed Alain Bernard, the trash talking world record holder of France by a body length and things looked dim for the Americans and Phelps dreams of eight gold medals. Lezak, hugging the lane rope and drafting off Bernard's wake began running him down and stunningly out-touched Bernard at the wall. Lezak had swum the split in 46.06 seconds, a full three-quarters of a second faster than any split in history as the team shattered the fifteen hour old world record by nearly four seconds. Lezak had swum his split by nearly two-thirds of a second faster than Bernard and well ahead of Bernard's world record of 47.50, although it won't count as a new world record for the 100.

Lezak, the old man on this team, like his teammate, Dara Torres, his elder by 9 years, may well turn out to upstage the face of these Games in Michael Phelps. At the very least, in the event that Phelps does go on to break Spitz's record and gets the eight gold records and the $1 million bonus put up by Speedo, he will owe a big chunk of it to Lezak.

UPDATE: You have to love this headline from Haaretz: Two Jews and a Black Man Help Phelps Fulfill Dream.

Jacobson Nabs Silver In US Sweep

Sada Jacobson (on the right against Zagunis) lost the final in women's saber to teammate Mariel Zagunis, winning the silver medal as part of a US sweep of the event and becoming the first Jewish athlete to medal In Beijing.

Jacobson is a veteran fencer, having won the bronze medal at Athens in 2004. Zagunis also won this event in Athens, where she became the first American in a century to win a fencing gold medal. The American women's team, consisting of the medal winners, are now the favorite to take the gold medal in the team saber event later this week.