SCOREBOARD!

It may not have had that element of Cold War-era intrigue but we’re totally fine with some smack-talking from Frenchie for our Olympic red meat.

With history about to slip away and Michael Phelps cheering him on, Jason Lezak pulled up next to the lane rope and set out after hulking Alain Bernard, like a NASCAR driver drafting down the backstretch at Daytona. Only 25 meters to go, half the length of the pool. Every stroke brought Lezak a little closer, a little closer, a little closer, his body seemingly carried along by the Frenchman's massive wake. The two lunged for the wall together. When the result flashed on the board, Phelps was still on course for his record eight gold medals.

The French star was extremely confident about his team's chances heading into the big showdown. "The Americans? We're going to smash them," Bernard said. "That's what we came here for."

This stunning, thrilling and amazing upset victory by the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay team kept alive Michael Phelps’ quest for 8 gold medals. 2 down, 6 to go.

Lezak blazed the fastest 100 meter relay split ever, going 46.06 seconds and the American team, in the process, crushed their own world record, which they set in the prelims by 4 seconds. In all, 5 teams broke the world record… France, Australia, Italy and Sweden, which of course, meant that the Italians and Swedes break the world record but go home empty-handed.

By far, the most exciting swim race we’ve ever seen.

Click here for video from NBC Sports

H/T: Deadspin

UPDATE #1: 'Dawg passed this along from the road. Mark Spitz, who won 7 golds at the '72 Munich games, was not invited to the Games by the IOC or the USOC to witness the potentiality of Phelps breaking his gold count. Snubbed or bitter? You make the call.