Rio 2016: Nathan Adrian and Anthony Ervin win Golds in Men’s 4x100 Free Relay

Nathan Adrian and Anthony Ervin, both team captains on the USA Swimming for the Rio 2016 games are leading by example. The Cal alumni played an instrumental role in the first Team USA (in all sports) men’s Gold medal of the 2016 Rio Olympic games.

Nathan Adrian anchored the US relay. He swam the final with Caeleb Dressel, Michael Phelps, and Ryan Held. Against the tough Australian, French, and Russian (top prelim time) relay teams, the US quartet won Gold in the 4x100 Free relay final with a time of 3.09.92.

This was a huge win for Team USA.

France won the Silver with a time of 3:10.53. Bronze goes to Aussies with a time of 3:11.37.

This is Cal’s first Gold medals of the 2016 Rio games.

Anthony Ervin swam in the anchor leg in the prelim to give USA the second best time going into the night’s final. It was slightly surprising that Ryan Held got the last final spot over Anthony Ervin.

This is Nathan Adrian’s 5th Olympic medal. Adrian has now medalled in every Olympic games (3) that he has participated.

This is Anthony Ervin’s 4th Olympic medal and the first ones since 2000 Sydney.

Both Adrian and Ervin will also swim in individual events later this week. Adrian will race in both 50 Free and try to defend her Gold in the 100 Free. Ervin will join Adrian in the 50 Free.

Calympians Medal Count:

2 Golds, 2 Silvers, 1 Bronze

Dana Vollmer (USA) - Silver from Women’s 4x100 Free Relay, Bronze from Women’s 100 Fly

Abbey Weitzeil (USA) - Silver from Women’s 4x100 Free Relay

Nathan Adrian (USA) - Gold from Men’s 4x100 Free Relay

Anthony Ervin (USA) - Gold from Men’s 4x100 Free Relay

GO BEARS!