Swimming - U.S. men demolish 4x100 free record

By Alan Baldwin

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States men's swim team, fielding a supposedly second-string relay line-up, smashed their own 4x100 metres freestyle world record in the Olympic qualifiers on Sunday.

The quartet, who rested their leading lights including powerhouse Michael Phelps, roared into the finals in a time of 3:12.23 that destroyed the record of 3:12.46 set at the 2006 Pan-Pacific championship in Canada.

Phelps, who can expect to compete in the final to continue his bid for a record eight golds in a single Olympics, had already won his first title of the Games in the 400 individual medley while he also qualified for the 200 freestyle semi-finals.

The world champions will face their toughest opponents in France, who were without 100 world record holder Alain Bernard but still qualified inside the old world record in 3:12.36.

Third placed Australia, with 50-metre world record holder Eamon Sullivan yet to figure, also broke the previous record in 3:12.41.

"That was fantastic, I can't complain much about today," said Matt Grevers, who swam the anchor leg for the United States.

"We've been talking all week about breaking that world record, the prelim guys, to show the final guys we're pretty good."

All squad members who swim in the qualifiers, even if not selected for the final, still get any medals won.