Freestyle relay earns shot at medal By Rob Longley, SUN MEDIA

BEIJING - Day 5 of the Olympics is going to open with Canada’s best shot at earning its first medal of the Games thanks to a strong qualifying effort by the men’s 4x200 metre freestyle relay team.

Despite resting two of its top swimmers here Tuesday night- Brent Hayden and Colin Russell - the squad was still able to smash the Canadian record and qualify fifth for the final.

The foursome of Rick Say, Brian Johns, Adam Sioui and Andrew Hurd finished third in their heat at the Water Cube to easily advance.

After evaluating the race, the Canadian coaching staff will decide who will be in the lineup Thursday morning when it faces the powerhouse U.S. squad and Michael Phelps.

Hayden, who had a preliminary heat in the men’s 100 Tuesday night will be in the lineup for the final, as will Russell.

“We’re obviously better than we’ve been and we sat out our two best swimmers,” Say said after the heat. “We all did our job. We just need a lane for the final.

“We’re all vying for positions to show what we got so we weren’t taking it easy but since we didn’t swim our two best swimmers, we’ve got a lot of room (to improve) yet.”

Prior to the Games, the relay team was touted as one of our best shots at a medal, which would be a first for Canadian swimming since 2000.

“The pressure’s not that bad,” Hurd said of the expectation to earn Canada’s first medal of these Olympics. “I think we have a great chance. We’re going to be able to go faster tomorrow and get on that podium.”