Aug. 4, 2012

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LONDON -

Cal's Nathan Adrian (2007-11) put on another display of his enormous swimming talents, anchoring the United States' gold medal-winning 400 medley relay with an impressive 46.85 freestyle leg Saturday (Aug. 4) during the final day of London Olympics swimming competition.

Golden Bear star Adrian joined backstroker Matt Grevers, breaststroker Brendan Hanson and butterflyer Michael Phelps as the Americans topped the 400 medley relay field with a time of 3:29.35. Japan was second (3:31.26) and Australia placed third (3:31.58).

It was the third Olympic medal of the 2012 Olympics for Adrian. On July 29 he had led-off the American's 400 free relay (with a time of 47.89) that won the silver medal and then on Aug. 1 he etched his name among the school's all-time greats when he won Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle, out-touching Australia's James Magnussen by one one hundredth of a second, 47.52 to 47.53, for the title.

Adrian, the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials champion in the 100 free, upended the favored Magnussen (who won the 100 free at the 2011 World Championships and had predicted an Olympic victory) to become the first Cal men's swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in the 100 free since Matt Biondi in 1988. He is the first individual Cal Olympic champion in men's swimming since Anthony Ervin won the gold in the 50 free in 2000.

Between his freshman and sophomore years at Cal, Adrian swam in the prelims of Team USA's 400 free relay that won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He went on to lead the Bears to the 2011 NCAA team title while capturing 11 individual/relay national titles and earning first-team Academic All-American honors during his Cal career.