RULE OF THE POOL U.S. ENDS DOMINATING GAMES WITH RELAY WORLD RECORD.

Byline: Steve Dilbeck Staff Writer

ATHENS, Greece - They were looking for the exclamation point, the fitting finale to an eventful eight days at the Olympic Aquatic Center.

And then it all came together - a world record, a gold medal and sweet redemption.

The U.S. men ended the swimming competition here Saturday by winning the final race in impressive fashion, it's 400-meter medley relay team setting a world record in winning the gold.

Michael Phelps, who swam for the U.S. on the qualifying race, earned his record-tying eighth medal with the victory - six of them gold.

And almost poetically, Ian Crocker, the man Phelps stepped aside for on the medley relay so he could earn his first gold and make up for a disastrous leg in the 400 free relay, was the one who made the difference.

After Aaron Peirsol led off with a world-record 53.45-second backstroke leg and breaststroker Brendan Hansen maintained a .78-second lead, it was Crocker who punished the field and pushed the advantage to 2.37 seconds.

That allowed freestyler Jason Lezak to bring in the U.S. in 3:30.68, breaking the American's world record by .86 of a second.

``It's such a special way to end the meet,'' Peirsol said.

It was particularly sweet for Crocker, whom Phelps had edged in their 100-fly final on Friday. Phelps earned the right to swim on the relay with the victory, but stepped aside so Crocker could have a chance to stand atop the medal podium.

Phelps sat in the stands with the rest of the U.S. team and led cheers for the team.

``I hope this group can stick together because we have more in store,'' Lezak said.

After receiving their medals, the relay team walked by the U.S. team, stopping to give Phelps a quick hug. Crocker said they exchanged only quick comments.

``He said, 'Congratulations' and I said, 'Thank you.' '' Crocker said. ``He gave me a great opportunity and I just wanted to fully take advantage of it.

``At first I didn't want to do it. I didn't feel like I'd earned it. The guys who win get to go to the relay. It was a hard thing.

``I felt he was giving me something too large to accept. He beat me and should have been the one in the race.''

Later after the ceremony and away from the main pool, the two met again.

``He gave me a big hug when we were off the pool,'' Phelps said. ``It seemed like so many emotions where exchanged in that hug. I felt like I was part of the race.''

Phelps will leave Athens as the most decorated swimmer in a single Olympics ever, his eight medals surpassing the seven earned by Mark Spitz (all gold) and Matt Biondi.

His eight medals (two bronze and six gold) ties 1980 USSR gymnast Alexandr Dityatin for most medals by an athlete in a single Olympics.

``Wow,'' Phelps said. ``I've done something no one else has ever done in the sport of swimming.''

Phelps wasn't alone in setting records for the U.S. on Saturday.

Jenny Thompson, despite swimming a poor butterfly leg that cost the U.S. the lead, earned a silver with the women's 400 medley relay team.

The medal gives the four-time Olympian a career-record 12 medals, surpassing Spitz and Biondi as the most decorated Olympic swimmer ever. Thompson earned eight gold medals, all in relays.

Earlier in the evening, she came in seventh in the women's 50-meter free.

``This is my last Olympics so tonight was bittersweet,'' Thompson said. ``The whole week has been a little nostalgic, so I've been trying to soak up as much as possible.

``I had hoped to do a little better, but I'm pretty proud just to be here at all.''

Australia won the women's 400 medley in a world-record time of 3:57.32, trimming almost a full second off its previous record.

Natalie Coughlin, who won five medals here (two gold), swam an Olympic-record 59.68 backstroke to lead off the U.S. medley team.

Peirsol's world-record time to lead off the men's medley team broke the 100 backstroke record held by Studio City's Lenny Krayzelburg, who also earned a medley gold medal after having swum with Phelps to qualify the team for the final.

Peirsol said Krayzelburg, whose record in the 200 he had previously broken, congratulated him after the race.

``He just told me I earned it,'' Peirsol said. ``Congratulated me and said he wouldn't want it to be in anyone else's hands.''

Larsen Jensen, who competed at USC, also gave the men a final silver medal when he placed second to Australia's Grant Hackett in the grueling 1,500 freestyle.

Hackett broke out to an immediate 1-second lead over Jensen on the first of the 30 laps. With two laps left, Jensen almost caught the defending champion before he extended his lead and won by almost two seconds.

The U.S. men ended the meet with 18 medals, nine gold, to easily outdistance Australia, with six medals, three of them gold.

The U.S. women just edged Australia, 10-9, in the medal count, although the Aussies took four gold to the U.S. three.

This meet, however, will always be remembered for the dominance of the floppy-eared, 19-year-old Phelps.

His four individual gold medals tied Spitz for most in a single Olympics, and his six gold are second only to the seven Spitz earned in 1972.

``Michael is young,'' said his coach, Bob Bowman. ``This is just the first chapter.''

Steve Dilbeck, [phone]

stephen.dilbeck(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Ian Crocker, left, Aaron Peirsol and Brendan Hansen react as the U.S. gets a world record in 400 medley relay.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

(2 -- color) Michael Phelps, right, congratulates Ian Crocker after the United States won a gold medal in the 400 medley relay. Phelps gave up his sport in the final to Crocker.

Douglas C. Pizac/Associated Press

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POOL SHARKS