University of Texas seniors Ricky Berens and Dave Walters formed half of Team USA’s gold medal-winning and world record-setting 800-meter freestyle relay on day six of the 2009 FINA World Championships. Berens and Walters joined Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte to help the USA to gold in the event in 6:58.55, a mark that narrowly eclipsed the world record of 6:58.56 set by Berens, Phelps, Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay at the Beijing Olympics.

Phelps led off the relay in 1:44.49, and Berens followed in 1:44.13 to put the Americans on top for good with the second-fastest split among the 32 legs in the event.  Walters split 1:45.47 on the third leg before Lochte anchored in 1:44.46 to produce the winning mark.  Russia took the silver in 6:59.15, and Australia took the bronze in 7:01.65.  

Berens captured his second gold of the world championships after swimming in the preliminary round of the 400m freestyle relay, an event claimed by the Americans in the finals.  The gold is the first earned by Walters by swimming in the finals of an event at a world championship or Olympic meet.  Walters earned gold at the Beijing Olympics after swimming in the preliminary round of the 800m freestyle relay.