Moses: Lezak answers Phelps' prayers

Wow, now that’s what I’m talking about! What a race! Welcome to the Games, sports fans.

Did you see the butt-kicking that the U.S. men’s 400-meter freestyle relay team dealt out to the French team this evening? That was fantastic. Even Rowdy Gaines, NBC’s color commentator, couldn’t call this race in favor of  the Americans. On paper, the French definitely had the edge and the race was all but given to them by NBC at post time. But Jason Lezak swam a race that we may never see again, a championship split time under championship conditions. That’s what makes a winner.

Michael Phelps, you must be saying your prayers, dude. Your teammates came through “like a big dog,” swimming the collective races of their lives, shattering the world record by what? More than three seconds?This is UNBELIEVABLE! I had chills running up my spine during the last 25 meters of the swim. Many congratulations should go out to Lezak, Garrett Weber-Gale and Cullen Jones for keeping the Michael Phelps' gold rush dream alive.

Too bad for the French team members; they should have never opened their mouths as they only managed to pump up the U.S. team. That’s the way it goes. When watching sports on TV these days, particularly championship action, I always warn people not to rely on statistics alone. The intangibles in sport, the emotional energy, mistakes and overconfidence will have a huge effect on who will ultimately vanquish.

Great call of the race by the NBC commentators. It may not get more exciting than this, but I for one sure hope that is does.

--Edwin Moses

www.edwinmoses.com

Photo: U.S. teammates (from left) Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak accept their gold medals after winning the men's 400-meter freestyle relay on Monday in Beijing. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Denise Guel]

AMAZING! Simply amazing!

[Andrew Burt]

There a lot to be said about being humble in victory.
These 4 swimmers were appalling after the race.

[JTaylor]

After watching Phelps' appalling display of extremely unsportsmanlike conduct, I can only pray that Phelps gets his pants handed to him in a loss or two. Perhaps he will then learn to be more sportsmanlike and humble. There was nothing but shame in watching his display on my side of the tv - shame in calling him a fellow countryman. While I understand and encourage celebration when winning, especially in such a close manner, his actions smacked of disrespect. I guess that's all our young people in this country know to show anymore.

[Denise Guel]

They just won the GOLD medal at the OLYMPIC games... a race that NO ONE thought they would win. And, the French were talking smack about smashing the Americans! How else did you expect them to celebrate? This competition is 4 years in the making. After all their hard work and dedications, let the men celebrate!

[Julie A.]

I agree with Denise's post! The U.S. men's relay team won a huge race that no one thought they would win. Whatever way they want to celebrate is definitely not way out of line. I congratulate the entire relay team on a job well done. I wish the entire American swim team the best of luck going forward in the Olympics!

[truguy]

The US athletes were class acts. Maybe you didnt see or dont recall the Australians playing air guitars when THEY won the 4X100 relay in Sydney, in response to Gary Hall predicting the US would smash them like guitars. So there was precedence both for the pre-race taunt by the French-who started the trash talk saying they would smash the US (who does that BTW?!)-and for the yells of congratulations.

Another point, when you spend you entire life in the water, you are not just an athlete, you are also a fan. They all saw and knew that they had both participated in and watched an epic moment in all of swimming history,.

The file tapes didnt show Phelps seeing Bernard in tears in the pool go over and shake his hand and offer condolences. The podium ceremony clearly showed the US athletes, led by Phelps going over and initiating the congrats and handshakes.

And the call from Roddy Gaines: one for the ages.
A classic.
Congrats to NBC for getting him to call swimming.

[Bill Baldwin, Jr.]

Certainly, this was not an ordinary Olympic final if there ever is such a thing. And having excelled at a number of sports in my youth, I am quite attuned to any athlete who goes overboard in celebration. Edwin Moses, who covered this event, always displayed a quiet grace winning race after race over his illustrious caree, including Olympic Golds in 1976 and 1984. And so, if Moses didn't feel the Americans were out of line at the end, that's good enough for me.

In addition, as Denise Guel correctly points out, the French swimmers had been talking about what they would do before actually doing it and Rowdy Gaines thought they would back it up, especially given their anchor leg would be in the hands of the current world record holder in the 100.

The American swimmers were not "appalling", they were OVERJOYED at the outcome and the incredible last leg by 32 year old Jason Lezak.

As for the French, they couldn't walk it like they talked it

[tryp]

Oh, you know, it was only the most incredible finish in relay history. No excuse for celebrating like that. A polite golf clap would have been more appropriate. Maybe a smile, but no showing teeth - that's just plain taunting. It wasn't even that good of a race. They only barely nipped the world record by 3 seconds.

And how disrespectful for taking the initiative to go over and congratulate and shake hands with the French team while on the podium! Michael Phelps is truly a terrible sportsman.

[DylaN]

Ridiculous to call the US team's reaction unsportsmanlike.
I was shocked to read that anyone had that reaction. All I saw was pure joy. And relief.
Phelps does not react like this after individual wins. Watch him. Sure, he celebrates (he has the right to -- anyone from any country does), but it doesn't come close to his reaction in relays. It would be somewhat inappropriate if he had done this after an individual event because he's so dominant in most of his races.
But here, they were underdogs. It was a shocker. It was 0.08 seconds difference. It was the fastest relay split ever. It was the Olympics. And most of all, it was Team USA winning after losing this relay in 2 straight Games. It wasn't about stomping on anyone else's ego -- it was realizing they all just did something amazing, nearly impossible when it counted the most. Ever done that? Ever come close?
Julie is right. There are photos of Phelps reaching down to shake Alain Bernard's hand before he exited the pool. And on the podium, they were humble. He deliberately went over and shook each Frenchman's hand...despite Bernard's trash-talk ("The Americans? We're going to smash them").
If anything, I thought the French team's post-race reactions were a little less than gracious.
Frederick Bousquet: ""Experience was better than talent."
(http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2422455.0.olympics_two_down_six_to_go_in_phelps_eightgold_bid.php)
Amaury Leveaux: "A fingertip did the victory. It is nothing."
But I'm willing to chalk it up to message-lost-in-translation and a really tough loss. But seriously, how can you say the Americans were the unsportsmanlike ones here?

[LaRoy Penix]

I agree whole-heartedly. This was one of the exciting races in any sport I have seen in a long time. The stage set by the French and the NBC commentators helped build the hype. But the fact that the top 5 teams each beat the previous world record highlights the fact that this was just an incredible race. I think all the teams should be congradulated for making this a race to remember.

[Andrew Burt]

As I said previously, there's a lot to be said for being humble in victory.
These four were not immediately after that race.

[Red]

Andrew Burt - so now that everyone here has completely quashed your contention that the Americans were not humble by pointing out how Phelps and co. shook hands with the French team at the pool and on the podium, you now want to nitpick and criticize the team for not being humble IMMEDIATELY after the race? Give it a rest. The US team was very humble in victory. If you think their reactions to the most surprising and dramatic comeback in swimming history was out of line and classless, you're going to be sorely disappointed with the Olympics, and sports in general.

[Andrew Burt]

Mr Red, there is a lot to be said for how you carry yourself when you are abroad and an ambassador of your country.
Unfortunately many from this country (USA) are sadly lacking in that department.
And for that matter are apparently unaware when they being openly arrogant.
This can happen on comments pages too - by the looks of it.

[AZ Ken]

I have to say that I am so impressed with the dignity and sportsmanship that the American Swimmers have shown ESPECIALLY in the face of the taunting that they have endured. And how anyone could criticize Mr. Phelps for celebrating (he NEVER taunted) is just plain silly! Phelps had to endure hearing the ARROGANCE of the French swimmers say how they were going to "Smash" the US in addition to having to hear that other FORMER Olympic great (before he ALSO became a petty self preserving ungracious EX-Champ) Ian Thorpe say ..... Phelps has no chance of even touching 7 Gold Medals?! And that says nothing of the pressure that he must have put on himself to live up the dreams of oh...an ENTIRE NATION that has made him our new national treasure!

Give the kid a break for crying out loud! Have those who criticize ever competed at a high level? There is a certain amount of joy and excitement that comes with accomplishing a goal NOBODY gave you a chance to accomplish. Had he been dancing like a fool or playing "air guitar" or talking smack like so many others have done then one could have a point. But there is a difference between celebrating and show-boating!

And one final comment, the notion that the suits these guys wore were "the reason" they won is ludicrice. You don't put on a new suit and CRUSH world records like Phelps and others are doing. If the suits made that much of a difference...trust me...EVERYONE would have one. These suits were introduced a few years ago so they were not a secret kept by a select few and given only to the Phelps and Co.

As someone else mentioned, they were available to everyone regardless of contractual obligations and/or sponsorships. The Olympics sadly have become a big business corporate show case to be sure. And technological advances will ALWAYS be a factor in sports. It's called PROGRESS. Bike frames are lighter. Shoes for all events are more advanced. Training facilities are better. Nutrition science has improved. Where do you draw the line?! Accept the fact that things won't ever be able to be measured in a vaccum. If that's what people want, then the games should be played naked and the contestents slathered in Olive Oil. Then maybe the "purists" will be happy!

Congratulations boys! You truly ARE the pride of America!

[Andrew Burt]

Ian Thorpe carrys himself not only with dignity and class, he is humble about his acheivments.
And he is an Australian. Who I think carry themselves better than most.

[Rafussen]

So Andrew, why don't you be so kind as to explain in detail where the line is of "being humble in victory." What can you do until you've gone over the line, according to your definition? I think that would help a lot of us out here, because you are undoubtedly being unreasonable or irrational in your comments, right?

[Andrew Burt]

Carrying on like a 2 bob watch doesn't help.
Rubbing people's faces in it after a win is nothing short of bad sportsmanship.
Take the win like an adult.
Speak to Gary Hall Jnr about his comments about Eamonn Sullivan of Australia. There's a guy who hasn't carried himself well at all.

[G OSul]

My questions as to your motivation for criticizing Michael and the relay team in the face of unsportsmanlike behavior before and after the race by others, the French, have been answered. It's jealousy.

You're not really American, are you? "2 bob watch?" No one here would use that expression, probably even an ex pat. You're being unreasonable and biased. True sportsmen, which the French swimmers were not, would have congratulated the winners, as nearly all other swimmers seem to do, and not have jawboned and minimized the victory later. They're losers in both senses.