BEIJING • Michael Phelps’ quest for eight gold medals remains intact thanks to an inspired anchoring effort by Jason Lezak.

Team USA entered the final leg of the men’s 400-meter freestyle relay almost a full body length behind the French team. When Cullen Jones, the third leg, touched the wall, French swimmer Alain Bernard already had a .59-second lead over Lezak. As they approached the wall at the 350-meter mark, it didn’t look as though Lezak had gained any ground.

Then came the final 50 meters.

“It was unbelievable,” Phelps said. “Jason finished the race better than we could have asked for. In the last 50 meters, I was like, ‘This is going to be a really close race.’ Jason in the last 50 was incredible.”

It was incredible enough to be one of the greatest comebacks in Olympic swimming history.

Lezak had a great turn off the wall, and then the 32-year-old turned into a dolphin – a powerful one at that. Each down stroke seemed to propel Lezak up out of the water as it did forward through the water.

Those strokes methodically decreased the gap between Bernard and Lezak. That alone was impressive given that Bernard set the world record in the 100 freestyle at 47.5 seconds in March.

After hugging the rope much of the last 50, drafting in Bernard’s water, Lezak passed Bernard on the final stroke, his right hand touching the wall a mere .08 of a second before Bernard.

Phelps and teammate Garrett Weber-Gale stood atop the back of the starting block emitting gutturally animalistic screams. The two probably expended more energy in celebration than they did in competition.

“At the end, as you could see, I was pretty excited,” Phelps said. “I was very emotional.”

Lezak’s split was 46.06 seconds. He would’ve shattered the world record in the 100 freestyle. Instead he just helped shatter Team USA’s own record in the relay.

Just a day before, during the semifinals, the U.S. set the record at 3:12.23. On Monday, they beat that by 3.99 seconds, finishing in 3:08.24.

One more meterToo bad the 100-meter butterfly isn’t 101 meters. If it were, American swimmer Christine Magnuson might have a gold medal draping over her neck instead of the silver.

Magnuson reached the 50-meter mark .17 of a second in front of Australia’s Lisbeth Trickett, but third overall. But it was Trickett’s kick off the wall and strong swimming between 50 and 75 meters that earned her the gold medal in 56.73 seconds. After the turn Magnuson was a half-body length behind Trickett. Magnuson closed the gap considerably between 75 and 100 meters, finishing in 57.10, .37 of a second behind Trickett.

“I was really relieved,” Magnuson said. “I thought I messed it up at the turn, so I was really excited.

“It’s been an amazing ride. This is what I’ve been wanting my entire career. … I know my roommates are probably sitting there thinking, ‘Why is she so happy with the silver?’ But I’m just so happy to be here.”

Showdown at the Water CubeNatalie Coughlin made to the 100 backstroke finals posting a 59.43-second effort, .43 of a second off the then Olympic record off 59.00. It was “the then” record because minutes after the first semifinal heat ended Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry set Olympic and world records in the event, swimming her heat in 58.77.

Coventry’s time would’ve been even faster, but her reaction time and start were slow. She reached the 50-meter mark almost a half second slower than when Coughlin set the record July 1 at the Omaha, Neb., trials. But her 29.91-second last 50 meters were easily the strongest in the field.

“I didn’t go in planning to break the world record,” Coventry said. “I was in the second heat. I was lucky to see the first heat.”

Coventry said her strategy was to just make it to today’s final.

“I thought, ‘I’m good. I’m going to make it to the final.'” Coventry said, about the final 50 meters. “So, I slowed my tempo down a little bit.”

Sunday, Coughlin said it would probably take a record time to win gold in the event.

Looks like she might be right.

“It went very well,” Coughlin said. “It’s exactly where I wanted to be going into the finals. I’m happy with that. I just need to recover and focus on my final.”

DisappointmentKatie Hoff couldn’t hide her frustration and regret after finishing second in the 400 free.

Hoff led much of the race, even increasing her lead over the other competitors at the 200-, 250- and 300-meter marks. The final 50 meters saw several swimmers catch up with Hoff, who looked to slow down a bit.

Michael Phelps celebrated the U.S. 400-meter freestyle relay’s gold-medal finish Monday morning. It was Phelps’ second gold medal of the Beijing Games. Photo by MARK REIS, THE GAZETTE