July 31, 2012 | 03:41 PM
Conor Dwyer said he was looking to bring home gold with his relay. He's done it.
Dwyer, 23, was part of Team USA's gold-medal winning 800-meter freestyle relay, which blew away the field Tuesday afternoon, July 31, in London.
The Loyola Academy alumnus swam second in the powerful relay that finished in 6 minutes 59.70 seconds, well ahead of second-place France (7:02.77).
For his efforts, Dwyer was not only awarded a gold medal, but got to witness history as he helped superstar teammate Michael Phelps secure his record 19th Olympic medal, making Phelps the most-decorated Olympian in history.
Getting the quartet out to a big lead was Ryan Lochte, who only trailed for about 50 meters before taking a good-sized lead. Dwyer followed and battled a tough swim from France, but ended up handing off a sizable lead to Ricky Berens.
Berens only extended the lead, making it insurmountable as Phelps took over as the anchor. Phelps brought the team within an arm's reach of the Olympic record, set by the United States, but finished about 1.5 seconds behind the mark.
Dwyer's races are now complete and he can enjoy the rest of the Summer Games as a spectator and Team USA athlete. He ends his first Olympics with a fifth-place finish in the 400 freestyle and a gold medal with his teammates in the 800 free relay.
The race aired on NBC.com live around 3 p.m. and will be replayed in prime time tonight, Monday, July 31, any time after 7 p.m. on NBC.
Stay tuned to WilmetteBeacon.com, WinnetkaCurrent.com or GlenviewLantern.com for more on this performance.
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