Phelps’ Savior Wins Bronze in 100 Free

By Mike Dodd

BEIJING — The man who saved Michael Phelps’ chance for eight gold medals finally got a piece of individual hardware for himself this morning (Wednesday night ET).

Jason Lezak, the three-time Olympian whose record-breaking anchor leg in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay Monday brought the USA back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit, won a bronze in the 100 freestyle.

Frenchman Alain Bernard won the close race for gold over Australian Eamon Sullivan in a time of 47.21 seconds, off the world records both set in the semifinals. Lezak and Brazil’s Cesar Cielo Filho tied for third at 47.67 and each won bronze.

“I was obviously shooting for the gold medal, but just to win any medal, it feels really good,” Lezak said. “It feels like everything I’ve done over my career has paid off.”

Said Bernard: “I had incredible opponents — Jason Lezak, who was so fast in the relay and is able to accelerate in the last stretch. … I really took it to heart when we lost the 100-meter relay.”

The gold in the dramatic relay was Lezak’s fifth medal over three Games, but today’s was the first in an individual event and erases a bitter personal disappointment from four years ago.

A medal favorite in the 100 freestyle in the Athens Games, he didn’t make it out of the preliminary heats when he set too leisurely a pace in the first 50 meters and finished 21st.

“The huge mistake I made four years ago by taking the preliminaries lightly has been eating at me,” Lezak said. “For me to go out there and accomplish that medal, I’m really excited. … Obviously it doesn’t top the relay from the other night, but it’s something that has really pushed me to swim the last four years.”

The USA seemed locked into second in the relay, but Lezak’s final 25 yards caught Bernard and his time of 46.06 seconds for the anchor leg is the fastest split in the race’s history.

“The momentum was great, but physically, it took its toll on me,” he said of a race that might be the top U.S. moment here. “I’m lucky I survived out there. I’m feeling a little tired right now and I’ve got a couple of days rest, which is much needed.”

That’s for Sunday’s anchor leg of the 4×100 medley relay, which could be No. 8 for Phelps.

Contributing: Vicki Michaelis (c) Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.