Bremerton’s Nathan Adrian swam the anchor leg of the USA’s victorious 4×100 medley relay team Saturday at the London Olympics, his second gold (also 100 freestyle) and third medal of the Games. In the same race, Michael Phelps closed out his career by winning his 18th gold and 22nd medal overall.
Matt Grevers led off in the backstroke leg, Brendan Hansen swam the breaststroke, Phelps did his usual butterfly leg and Adrian swam the anchor in freestyle. The Americans trailed Japan when Phelps dove in the pool, but he pushed them in front and Adrian extended the lead.
The U.S. clocked 3:29.35 with Japan claiming the silver medal in 3:31.26. Australia won the bronze medal.
Adrian, who began the Olympics by winning a silver medal in the 4×100 freestyle relay, now owns four Olympic medals, including three gold and one silver. He won a relay gold in Beijing in 2008.
Adrian, a Bremerton High School and University of California graduate, joins Helene Madison (1932), Jack Medica (1936) and Kaye Hall (1968) as the only swimmers with state ties to win three medals in a single Olympics.
Also at the Olympics Saturday, Kirkland cyclist Jennie Reed finally won a medal — a silver — for the first time in three Olympics. Reed was part of the USA entry in women’s team pursuit while racing against a dominant Great Britain team that shattered its own world record. Another athlete with state ties, rower Scott Gault, won a bronze in the four.
The U.S. team of Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch and Lauren Tamayo (Reed took part in the semifinal and other preliminary rounds, thus earning her medal) finished the final race in 3:19.727 for silver, while Canada put together its best ride of the Olympics to earn the bronze.
The British team finished in 3:14.051, breaking its previous record 3:14.682. The Brits were so fast they nearly lapped the Americans.
The 5-foot-7, 170-pound Reed, who resides in Long Beach, CA., finished 10th out of 12 in the match sprint in 2004 in Athens and had a seventh-place showing in the same event in 2008 in Beijing. An Issaquah High graduate who attended the University of Washington, Reed took up racing at the Marymoor Velodrome.
Gault teamed with Glenn Ochal, Henrik Rummel and Charles Cole in winning the bronze in four. Great Britain won the race in 6:03.97. Australia finished second in 6:05.19. the Americans in 6:07.20.
The 6-foot-6, 206-pound Gault, a UW letter winner between 2003-05, finished fifth in quadruple sculls at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Medals By Washingtonians at 2012 Olympic Games
| Date | Athlete | Sport | Event | Connection | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/1 | Nathan Adrian | Swim | 100 free | Bremerton | Gold |
| 8/2 | Mary Whipple | Rowing | Eight | UW | Gold |
| 8/4 | Nathan Adrian | Swim | Med Relay | Bremerton | Gold |
| 7/29 | Nathan Adrian | Swim | 4×100 relay | Bremerton | Silver |
| 8/1 | Rob Gibson | Rowing | *Eight | UW | Silver |
| 8/1 | Will Crothers | Rowing | *Eight | UW | Silver |
| 8/1 | Conlin McCabe | Rowing | *Eight | UW | Silver |
| 8/4 | Jennie Reed | Cycling | Pursuit | Kirkland | Silver |
| 7/30 | Marti Malloy | Judo | 57 KG | Oak Harbor | Bronze |
| 8/1 | Megan Kalmoe | Rowing | Quad Sculls | UW | Bronze |
| 8/1 | Adrienne Martelli | Rowing | Quad Sculls | UW | Bronze |
| 8/4 | Scott Gault | Rowing | Four | UW | Bronze |
*Represented Canada