Olympics: Another Gold for Michael Phelps in 4x100m Freestyle

Michael Phelps' bid to break Mark Spitz's 36-year-old record of seven Olympic gold medals at a single Games remains just about on track after an enthralling men's 4x100m freestyle today – but it was a mighty close thing.

Going into the final 100m of the race, the Americans trailed by three quarters of a second to France. But somehow Phelps' team-mate Jason Lezak pulled out a 46.06 final split - which would have smashed the world record by 0.64sec had it been in the individual 100m freestyle - to bring the gold home for the Americans by just 0.08sec ahead of France, with Australia third.

The Americans had put Phelps on the first leg, hoping to establish an early lead, but he looked tired as he swum a time of 47.51 which was only good enough for second behind Australia's Eamon Sullivan after the first 100m.

The Australians were unable to keep their lead, and France, followed closely by the Americans, began to fight it out. But two fine swims by Fabien Gilot, who swam the second 100m in 47.05sec and Frederick Bousquet, who swam the third leg in 46.63, seemed to have left the Americans with too much to do.

But then Lezak, who despite being a three-time Olympian has never won a Olympic or world championship individual medal, was somehow able to summon the swim of his life to keep Phelps' hope of eight gold medals.

The sight of Phelps' primeval, arms aloft, roar as he realized his team-mate had done it showed how much the gold medal means to him. Two down, six to go.