Bainbridge’s Emily Silver helps US to silver medal

Emily Silver started it, and her teammates took it the rest of the way. The 22-year-old helped the United States 4x100 freestyle relay team take the third seed into the finals, but it was the Netherlands who came out on top in the finals at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing, China Sunday morning.

August 9, 2008 11:56 pm
Silver in U.S. Olympic trials.
Silver in U.S. Olympic trials.

Emily Silver started it, and her teammates took it the rest of the way.

The 22-year-old helped the United States 4×100 freestyle relay team take the third seed into the finals, but it was the Netherlands who came out on top in the finals at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing, China Sunday morning.

The foursome of Natalie Coughlin, Lacey Nymeyer, Kara Lynn Joyce and Dara Torres took second with a time of 3:34.33, .57 behind the foursome of Inge Dekker, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Femke Heemskerk and Marleen Veldhuis, who set an Olympic record with a time of 3:36.76.

Silver swam the third leg of the preliminary swim in 54.81 Saturday, just missing out on her personal best.

Swimmers who participate in the preliminaries or the finals earn medals, but only those who swim in the finals get to stand on the podium.

Silver earned her way on the relay team by besting 55 seconds in a time trial Thursday.