My greatest Olympic memory. All the talk was Phelps going for 8 medals. The BBC commentary all about Phelps. Little attention was focused on his teammates. As an Englishman watching in the UK, with limited background of US swimming, when Phelps was behind after the first leg I thought the US couldn't possibly win. After the 3rd leg it seemed certain that the US couldn't win and that Phelps's goal of 8 golds would not happen. What followed was the most heroic Olympic performance I've ever seen. Phelp's dream rested on the shoulders of Jason Lezak. From the start of Lezak's leg the BBC commentators were saying... "I can't believe he's going to do this. The French are going to spoil the party here". "Can the US catch it up?" "No I don't think they can. Look at Lezak, he's trying his best." These comments were made with less than 50m to go. "The French are going to hold on for sure". That comment was made with approximately 25m to go. With about 10m to go... "Coming back is Lezak! Lezak is coming back! He can't surely do it! JASON LEZAK'S GOT THE GOLD!" I ran around the room when it happened. I'd never felt like that. Even watching highlights 8 years later, I get a sampling of that emotion. Some may say he was doing it for his country, some may say he was just trying his best. I think he did it for his teammate(s). He was the veteran, the experienced head and they needed him. I'd never heard of Jason Lezak before that moment. I have never forgotten his name since. It's worth noting that, as I imagine it is for every nation, the British commentators reserve their most emotive reactions for British athletes. However, this was a moment when any sense of patriotism was forgotten and the heroics of one man for his team encapsulated what I believe the Olympic spirit should mean. For anyone who has managed to read my entire comment, I strongly recommend searching out the BBC commentary on the race. It's on Vimeo, but don't tell KZfaq. ;-)

The final interview when he was a kid was pure Gold.

Jason Lezak is a certified Legendary American Olympian. Still remember watching every second of this race almost 14 years later. Truly epic.

Swimming is an individual sport. These guys spend thousands of hours staring at the bottom of the pool in solitude. For Michael Phelps's dream to fall onto the shoulders of someone else is a remarkable situation. For that person to then go out and swim the greatest swim of their life, and by most accounts the greatest relay swim of all time, is truly miraculous. Jason Lezak I'd a legend of swimming forever for what he did that last 25 meters.

Lezak is forever a legend and a hero to the US. He will never be forgotten and this swim will be shown to teams forever.

I dont know why, but I always end up in tears watching this miraculous moment in history.

One of the greatest moments in sports history.

Watched with my daughter who is 8 and a competitive swimmer. I remember the race from 2008, before she was even born. She was shouting "GO! GO!" at the end and mimicked the legendary Phelps reaction when she saw it. Certainly one of the greatest swim races of all time. Lezak and this entire team is still inspiring the next generation of swimmers even after 10 years.

To re-enact the Olympic relay but speaking as a child was phenomenal!

I remember that night so well. I lost my mind watching that ending late at night and woke the whole house up. A swimmer myself in college at the time, it was truly special to witness Lezak do what he did.

This might be the greatest collection of swimmers ever in a race in Olympic history

Damn man... Who is going to make these kinds of films now that Bud Greenspan is gone? He did such a superb job of bringing to light the drama, the suspense, the glory and despair of the best Olympic moments. Who can possibly carry the torch now? R.I.P. Bud Greenspan.

Greatest swimming relay race of all time 😎😎

i like particularly the final interview when he was a KID - HE SAYS IT ALL ! greatest ancor swimmer ever. altius citius fortius !!!

An olympic swimming race that will be remembered for a looong time. Thanks, Jason ... very well done!

I love the youthfulness at the end all the kids come around just smiling that they got to swim and compete against each other such innocence turning into such greatness...

Hands-down, one of Team USA's finest moments, ever. ---Seeing the faces of the arrogant French--& Bernard unwilling to even get out of the pool, was so fine! -----To Jason Lezak : Brother, you did that for an entire nation! ----------------wolfSky9, 71 y/o

46.07 split is absolutely mindboggling

Amazing! Captain Lezak, Respect.

Yes. This is a great video! I was at home in Boston and was screaming in front of my TV. Jason THE GREAT!

Jason is modern hero and a role model for many people around the world! Thank you 🙏🏻

Im Brazilian and ill never forget Jason Lezak and This truly beautiful SporTV moments.

Fantastic! The Beijing 4x100m is one of the best swimming events ever.

Rewatching some great Olympic moments to get me hyped up for this summer's games

The American team has done the impossible. It’s the swim of the century.

George W Bush was there watching that race, it would’ve been interesting to see his reaction when Jason Lezak out touched the French. Plus one of the ironies of this race is Jason Lezak and USA did to France what Ian Thorpe and Australia did to them in Sydney. Plus the trash talkers lost both times. Moral of the story, keep your mouth shut 😂

46.06... nuff said!!!

This thing called LIFE son everything u've worked so hard for finally materialized it's just a beautiful thing Live life always think bout others and stay humble the man above is there watching down

Here I am on a December (13, 2017 @8:40pm) watching videos/interviews of this unbelievable win, in A-W-E. Speechless. Just W-O-W. And that interview when he was a kid. My goodness! What a way of achieving one's dream. Win in the same fashion as a kid. Win it just like that in his adult life. Lezak is definitely a swimming/Olympics legend, NO DOUBT.

Mr Clutch! What a scrapper! I absolutely love Jason Lezak.

the unsung hero,,, Jason Lezak! what a leg he swam..............never forget that night...

Dam, this Bud guy sure knows how to make a documentary. Good stuff. Shows how the ultimate competitor needs a spiritual element to really excel at the highest level. A lesson to all those robotic athletes out there.

I get goosebumps everytime I see this race. My favourite Olympic memory of all- time

The Greatest Memories of Olympics!

Can the veteran chase him down and pull off a shocker here??

Every time I need a good ugly cry, I come back and watch this video. Just ... Damn

Jason's anchor leg is the greatest single swim I've ever seen Bousquet's leg was incredible; Jason's was just better, period.

Amazing! Jason Lezak .

Best comeback swimming Olympic history

I am swimming becasue i love to compete. The part I like the most is swimming under pressure I love to swim especially in a relay when I am anchoring, and it's close, I want to prove to myself, I can achieve I set forth for myself a long time ago. Swimming is my way to express my natural competitive nature, I love to win.

Conmovedor hasta las lágrimas, uno de los momentos más preciosos de todo el deporte de la era moderna! sencillamente majestuoso!

Lezak to Phelps was like Blake to Bolt..... Underrated but can't be ignored

I saw this race in Taiwan. It was bold print on every newspaper the next morning and Phelps thrusted on the front page during the next week.

Sports is beautiful

1. 1980 Hockey stunning the Soviets. 2. Lezak stunning the fastest swimmer in the world. If not for the absolute greatest upset in sports history, I would have to say Lezak's finish would be the greatest American performance in Olympic history. What he did on the anchor was among the greatest athletic performances in any sport. The whole team gave it their all but that finish was godly.

What a wonderful swimmer Lezak is. He is a fucking LEGEND!

7:24 he lifted his head at the end, too. Had a chance to go sub-46.

Still the fastes ever 100m time 46.06 sek. Worldrecord (2024) 46.40 sek. That was so clutch... Easy top 3 moment in olympics history

Legend!

Finest charge to the wall ever!

Great reach😎

jesok lesak is a great man for michael phelps for win 8 gold medal

Jenson lezak is my motivasion ❤️

I have scoured the internet and I cannot find any news on part 1. It must be lost...

Where's part 1?

All HALE TO THE KING OF THE 4 X100 MEN RELAY

Jason Lezak is a Legand +

Did NBC take down their version of this race? It was on KZfaq forever and now I can’t find it. Just a straight replay of the race with commentary by Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gains. The best version.

Definitivamente lezack y sobretodo maychol pels son historia son leyenda #

1:52 Phelps took it personally lol

Bernard 21.27 at his feet. Incredible.

Awesome ! ----------So much like that swim team in '08, coming from behind to beat the trash-talking French ! Ohhhh, how sweet it is !! ---------------4 years later in London, watching out ladies smash the world record in the 4 x100 relay was again, such a sweet , unforgettable moment. -----------both times, I watched -----& was jumping up saying USA ! USA ! ---------------Wolfsky9, 72 y/o

Effin' motivatin'!!!!

The phrase "Nobody believes in us" is overused in sports. I love that in this case it included the athlete.

Lezak’s mom was my 4th grade teacher!???!!!?!!?!??

Where’s part 1??

😭watched it on tv..the best race in living memory

Best race!

Coach Greg!!

Cool.god bless lezak.Phnmnl.

Who are the two American TV commentators? Is there any possibility to watch the original race with them somewhere? :)

The fastest 100m of all time.

Do you have Part 1 still?

what's the music in the end?

46.06 split. Are you kidding me?

Media ruin everything. Always making everything about Phelps...or in golf...talking about Tiger Woods when he's 6 shots back.

Lezak dwarfed Phelps in Beijing

can anyone writte the letter which start at 6:52 ?

wow look at 2:12-2:14 why is leveaux standing like this ????

the only one, pan zhanle cheater

Bonjour, ok je ne suis pas dans la même catégorie mais je donne tout kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d95pg9qKq7GwpJc.html