Phelps leads USA to 4x200m freestyle world mark

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Agence France-Presse
First Posted 12:16:00 08/13/2008

Filed Under: Sport, Summer Olympics, swimming

BEIJING -- A US team led by superstar Michael Phelps broke the men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay world record Wednesday with a time of 6 minutes 58.56 seconds.

The victory gave Phelps his fifth gold medal of the Beijing Games and the 11th Olympic gold of his career.

Phelps led off the squad, just about an hour after he claimed his record 10th career gold medal in the 200m butterfly.

He and Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay shattered the previous world mark of 7:03.24 set by a US quartet at the World Championships in Melbourne in March of last year.

Russia (7:03.70) took silver and Australia (7:04.98) earned bronze.