How Australia Beat America in the 4x100 Free Relay in 2000 with Michael Klim

Men's 4x100 meter freestyle relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics was held on September 16, 2000 at the Sydney International Aquatic Centre in Sydney, Australia. 

The Australians won an Olympic gold medal for the first time in 36 years, and they did it in front of their delirious home fans. Australians Michael Klim (48.18), Chris Fydler (48.48), and Ashley Callus (48.74) won the gold medal in a time of 3:13.67 thanks to Ian Thorpe's anchor leg of 48.30, after he had lost the lead to Gary Hall, Jr. of the United States at the 350-meter mark. By setting the pace early in the race, Klim was able to beat the previous world record set by his Russian training partner Alexander Popov in 1994 by 0.03 seconds. 

Hall wrote on his blog before the 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay, " "It is my unreliable opinion that we will decimate the Australian 4x100m relay team like a band of guitars. The United States has always performed admirably under pressure. This time, however, the logic in my far-flung head tells me that the United States won't have it so simple to dominate the oceans." After the race, in response to Hall's comments, the Australians air-guitared on the pool deck. Hall commented on the race's significance, saying, "I can't even play the guitar correctly... As far as relay races go, that was the best one I've ever participated in. My hat is out to the legendary Ian Thorpe. Finishing stronger than I did, he beat me."  Michael Klim, one of the Australians on the winning 4x100 relay team, remembered that "First to come over and offer his congratulations was swimmer Hall. His rough treatment of others did not make him any less of a sportsman ".

Hall (48.24), Anthony Ervin (48.89), Neil Walker (48.31), and Jason Lezak (48.42) of Team USA finished in second place, 1.25 seconds behind the Australians' world record time from five years ago, but still set a new American record with a time of 3:13.86.

At the same time, the Brazilian relay team of Fernando Scherer (49.79), Gustavo Borges (48.61), Carlos Jayme (49.88), and Edvaldo Silva Filho (49.12) won bronze with a time of 3 minutes, 17 seconds, and 40 seconds.

While the rest of the championship field included the likes of Germany (3:17.77), Italy (3:17.85), Sweden (3:19.60), and France (3:21.00), Popov's Russia was disqualified due to an early relay launch from Andrey Kapralov on the lead-off leg.

The Dutch team, without Pieter van den Hoogenband in the morning preliminary heats, nonetheless managed to set the fastest time with a 3:18.32, but they were eliminated from the final race after Dennis Rijnbeek made an illegal early jump during the second exchange.

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