Making his first international appearance representing the United States, TYR’s William Copeland won a gold medal as a member of the 400m freestyle relay at the 2009 World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia Sunday evening. The relay team of Copeland, Christopher Brady, Douglas Robison, and Eric McGinnis entered the Tasmajdan Sports R. Center for finals less than two-tenths off of the game’s record set by the U.S. in 2007. With a lead on the first leg, the U.S. never let up on competitors Italy and France. Touching in at 3:14.74, Copeland and teammates shattered the record of 3:16.06 and finished nearly two seconds ahead of second place Italy. Placing second at the 2008 U.S. Open in the 100m freestyle to secure his spot on the World University team, Copeland will use the momentum from his first place finish to help prepare for his first individual race on July 8th. Continue to visit TYR.com for an update on Copeland’s performance at the championships, and for updates on the World Championship Trials starting Tuesday, July 7th in Indianapolis, IN.