Starting the 2009 FINA World Championships in winning fashion was TYR-Sponsored Matt Grevers and the members the U.S. men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, as they re-wrote the championship record to capture gold on the first night of swimming competition in Rome, Italy.
In the preliminaries of the 4x100m freestyle relay, Grevers earned a spot on the night’s final team by splitting 47.55 in the Tracer Sayonara-the fastest split of the US team in the session. With a final time of 3:11:64, the team would head into finals fourth, behind their French rivals and the top-finishing team Brazil.
Returning to the Foro Italico complex for finals, Grevers once again suited up in the Tracer Sayonara, prepared to take on the French relay that barely missed stealing gold from him and the rest of Team USA in the event at the 2008 Olympic games.
Grevers went third for the U.S. behind Brazil and France. With a split of 47.61, he caught up and passed the French, setting up the anchor to battle against the Russians who provided the outside heat in lane eight.
Fighting to the wall, it was the stars and stripes that came out victories, finishing in 3:09.21. The time shattered the previous championship record of 3:11.26. Russia claimed the silver, and the French rounded out the top three.
Adding to the excitement of the night, head coach of the US women’s team and TYR-sponsored Sean Hutchison witnessed his KING Aquatics swimmer claim the top seed going into the finals of the women’s 200m individual medley by demolishing the previous world record by over a second.
Continue to visit TYR.com now through the swimming competition’s conclusion on Sunday August 2nd for updates on accomplishments of TYR athletes and the coaches that lead them and Team USA.