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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, December 19. THE U.S. closed out the meet with a victory in the men's 400 medley relay at the FINA World Short Course Championships.
The foursome of Nick Thoman, Mike Alexandrov, Ryan Lochte and Garrett Weber-Gale won the race in 3:20.99. The swim cleared the ratified American record of 3:24.38 set by Randall Bal, Mark Gangloff, Lochte and Nathan Adrian in 2008. The swim did not, however, break the top time by an American contingent of 3:20.71 clocked last year at the Duel in the Pool. USA Swimming did not recognize any techsuit swims done after the federation put in a domestic ban of techsuits in Oct. 2009. FINA, however, did not ban techsuits worldwide until Jan. 1, 2010.
Russia's Donets, Stanislav Lakhtyukhov, Evgeny Korotyshkin and Nikita Lobintsev finished second in 3:21.61 to lower Russia's European record of 3:24.29 set in 2008.
Donets gave the crowd something to cheer for in the 100 back leadoffs when he missed Thoman's world record of 48.94 by the slimmest of margins with a 48.95. Both times were 400 medley relay leadoffs. Donets lowered Arkady Vyatchanin's European record in the event of 48.97 set last year.
Brazil's Guilherme Guido, Felipe Silva, Kaio Almeida and Cesar Cielo rounded out the top three with a 3:23.12 to beat the Brazilian record of 3:28.88 also from 2008.
France (3:23.60), Australia (3:24.46), Japan (3:25.67), Germany (3:26.05) and China (3:27.47) also competed in the finale.
