France chases down Lochte, beats U.S.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Deja vu on cue.
Ryan Lochte got Jason Lezak-ed by the French.
Yannick Agnel chased down Lochte after the final turn and France rallied to beat the United States in the 400-meter freestyle relay Sunday night, earning his country a dose of revenge four years in the making.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's incredible," said leadoff man Amaury Leveaux.
And familiar.
The finish mirrored Lezak's comeback four years ago at the Beijing Olympics, when he drafted off Alain Bernard and raced past him in the final 25 meters to will the U.S. to gold over France in the same relay.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lezak's surge in 2008 secured one of Michael Phelps' record-setting eight gold medals.
Phelps was part of this script, too. With Nathan Adrian and Cullen Jones, he helped build a half-a-body-length lead over the French after 300 meters.
Lochte held on through the first 50 meters of his anchor leg but Agnel caught him down the stretch, touching .45 seconds faster. It was the only time the U.S. trailed since Adrian gave them the lead on the first turn of the race.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And the favored Australians? They finished fourth behind Russia, which won the bronze.
France -- with Leveaux, Fabien Gilot and Clement Lefert swimming the first three legs -- finished in 3 minutes, 9.93 seconds.
A bit of revenge? Sure. But also the end of a long day for America's newest Olympic star.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lochte swam in two other races Sunday to qualify for the final of the 200 free, including a semifinal that started 83 minutes before the relay.
And all of it came a day after he won the 400-meter individual medley.
"We went out there to win," said Lochte, "but we came up short."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Phelps, after barely qualifying for the 400 IM Saturday before finishing off an Olympic medal podium for the first time since he was 15, looked stronger in his only race Sunday.
He won his 17th career medal, one short of tying the all-time Olympic record. It was only the third non-gold of his Olympic career.
"I felt a lot better," said Phelps. "I was able to put yesterday behind me."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}None of the four Americans in the final swam in the morning qualifier. James Feigen, Matthew Grevers, Ricky Berens and Lezak did that lifting, coming in second fastest behind Australia.