Swimming: Ryan Lochte helps US stockpile gold with flying final leg in relay

RYAN Lochte capped a golden day for the United States when he overhauled a flying French 4x200 metres freestyle team to ensure the Americans won their fourth successive title in the event at the world swimming championships yesterday.

The 26-year-old Lochte had earlier romped to victory in the men's 200 metres backstroke title before he anchored the relay team, which also included Michael Phelps, to claim his fourth gold medal of the championships in Shanghai.

"We went out there and did our best. When we hit the 75 (metres] mark, I knew it was over, I knew I had a lot of energy left," Lochte said of his relay leg after he overhauled France's Fabien Gilot to claim gold. "I was gonna hit the second wall (100 metres mark] and go for it."

But Lochte, who had already won the men's 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley golds, pipping Beijing Olympic champion Phelps both times, said he was disappointed with his time of one minute, 52.96 seconds in winning the 200 backstroke gold.

"I don't think it was a good time for me. I know I can go a lot faster," he said. "I still have a whole year (before the London Olympics], that's something I gotta work on and hopefully I will improve."

Rebecca Soni added to the Americans' burgeoning gold haul when she won the women's 200m breaststroke title, comfortably outclassing the rest of the field to claim the 100-200m breaststroke double in Shanghai. The US have now won nine gold medals in the pool, and sit just behind China in the overall medal table.

"Overall I am very happy with it. You can't complain too much with a gold medal," Soni said.