Phelps swam the lead leg. This was the event that ended Phelps's bid for eight golds four years ago in Athens, when the US took third place. It was the least certain of his eight events, since the French had world record-holder Alain Bernard swimming anchor. With Phelps swimming leadoff, they were down by .27 seconds after the first 100, when Australia's Eamon Sullivan (47.24) broke Bernard's mark.