THE MAN:
Yannick Agnel
THE EVENT:
The 2012 London Olympic 4×100 freestyle relay
THE BACKSTORY:
Yannick Agnel, 3-time Olympic medalist
At 6 feet 8 inches tall and 179 pounds, long and sinewy, all jutting joints and tendons, the Frenchman from Nimes was still a French boy, only 20 years old, when stepped on deck at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Two years before, 2010, Yannick Agnel revealed glimmers of speed and promise, breaking French records in the 200 and 400 meters freestyle. Last year, at the 2011 FINA World Championships in Shanghai, Agnel merely collected preverbal wooden medals for 5th and 6th place finishes in the 200 and 400 freestyle.
HOW HE DID IT — THE MOMENT – THE 2012 OLYMPIC 4×100 FREESTYLE RELAY:
At the London 2012 Summer Olympics, the Aussie 4×100 freestyle relay came in hyped, favored to top Team USA. The French 4×100 contingent was in the hunt, but not a betting man’s choice. Historically, this event has been a bragging rights signpost of swimming power, a rally cry of success for countries. The Aussie’s smashed Team USA’s guitars in 2000. South Africa dominated in 2004. The French licked their wounds after Alain Bernard got reeled in by The Legend, Jason Lezak, in 2008. The 2012 4×100 free relay was eagerly anticipated.
The Aussies, lead by James “The Missle” Magnussen, did not get a “missle” leadoff leg on the 4×100 relay. Team USA’s Nathan Adrian clipped Maggie by .14. Knocked off their center of balance, the Aussies never really recovered, and the relay become a two country race between Team USA and the French. Team USA built their margin to a .55 lead by the time Ryan Lochte flew from the blocks to anchor. France’s Agnel followed, closing the margin to .3 by the turn, but Lochte hammered him off the wall with his underwater dolphin kicks, regaining the difference. Agnel, breathing away from Lochte, swim his own race, using his 200 and 400 free background to close in the biggest clutch moment of the year! Agnel delivered France the gold with a 46.74 anchor split (the only man under 47 in the entire field) beating Team USA by .45.
FRANCE: 3:09.93
TEAM USA: 3:10.38
THE AFTERMATH:
Lochte, 11-time Olympic medalist
Despite Lochte’s stunning win on the opening night of the competition in the 400 IM, he was visibily shaken by the loss. Lochte struggled through the rest of his Olympic schedule, winning Olympic hardware, though not gold as expected in certain events, namely the 200 backstroke.
Magnussen’s lackluster relay leadoff resulted in a firestorm of negative press down under. Maggie followed up with an impressive 100 meter freestyle final, but it was not enough to holdoff Team USA’s Nathan Adrian.
Agnel, who delivered France ample payback from the their loss to Lezak in the 2008 4×100, went on to win gold in the 200 freestyle and silver in the 4×200 freestyle relay. At only 20, yes, still a boy, Agnel is positioned to be a global swim star from 2013-2016.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
VIDEO PREVIEW OF TEAM USA DISCUSSING THEIR MEDAL CHANCES IN THE 4×100 FREE RELAY:
VIDEO PREVIEW WITH MATT TARGETT, A SOBER OUTLOOK ON AUSTRALIA’S CHANCES IN LONDON:
VIDEO OF THE 2012 OLYMPIC 4×100 FREE RELAY:
For your information, Yannick Agnel is also an intellectual. He likes philosophy and he likes to read many books.
It’s clear that Ryan wasn’t the same swimmer after the relay anymore. He has received a hammer blow on his head. I hope he doesn’t have nightmares because of that race anymore.
He was passed on the last 12 meters …which shows also how good his swim was . It’s took the best 100 free from Agnel to beat that Lochte ( a non pure sprinter ) . am i right ?
If he had any , he would not enjoy what he did in Istambul recently . these guys have mentors and great coaches to fuel new motivation even after a hammer on the head .
Phelps’s split on that same relay deserves a grt mention too …….
Are we really going to go so far as to call “Tyler Clary” the hardest working man in the sport of swimming? Is that like some overwhelmingly held opinion I don’t know about? I’m sure he works hard, but the single hardest worker in the sport???? yikes….
It’s a joke referring to Tyler’s comment about how phelps doesn’t work hard
even the hardest working swimmer I think it is a bit too much.. Hackett is probably much more a hard worker than him.. on all sports.. if you check how workaholic guys like shumacher zanardi senna oscar schmidt jordan were..
Agnel’s 200 free could go on there as a clutch swim as well. to go out there and race the way he did against that deep field was incredible. not only did he win, but he dominated from start to finish. he made veterans like Lochte, Park, and Sun look like boys, very impressive to watch
And I can talk about Katie Ledecky in the 800 free. I believe many swimming fans have been amazed by her race. And I could also talk about Allison Schmitt in the 200 free. I have yesterday again watched her race and I think her swim has been very underrated. It’s one of the most dominant races in history. She has swum a wonderful time, the second best of all time just only behind the world record made in a magical suit. She has demolished the field and has won with a margin of 1.97s over the second place! And behind her there were Camille Muffat, Missy Franklin or Federica Pellegrini! Yannick Agnel and Allison Schmitt have swum 2 incredible… Read more »
Surely ledecky and Schmitt gave astonishing races ! the 200 back from Missy was non less impressive ( with a WR ) .
it was impressive, but pretty much expected from Missy.