An Olympic relay race ended in a dramatic finish, with a scorching performance by a local swimmer.Zach Apple, a Trenton, Ohio native, anchored the 4x100 free relay and sealed the victory for the U.S.“Still, the adrenaline rush from it, it’s crazy,” said the gold medalist’s father Doug Apple. “I don’t think it’s hit me yet that he’s a gold medalist.”Doug Apple still lives in the Trenton home with a pool where his son began swimming. It all started years ago when a neighbor, Ben Johnson, who was coaching a swim team needed another kid for a relay and called the Apple family to see if Zach Apple could do it.Friends and family gathered Sunday night to watch the event live.“The farther the race goes, we’re all standing up, everybody’s cheering and once he’s down there for the gold, it’s just craziness,” Doug Apple said.In Trenton, there’s a large billboard congratulating the Olympian on making the team and there are signs painted in the windows of local storefronts updating the congratulations for the gold medal win.Johnson is still cheering on his most successful swimmer and even had a recent picture taken of the two t0gether at the Olympic Trials.Zach Apple isn’t finished racing in Tokyo yet. He still has the individual 100 free and the possibility of swimming on two relays.

Chase Kalisz got things rolling, claiming the first U.S. gold at the Olympic pool.By the time the morning was done, the powerhouse team had a whole bunch of medals.Six of them in all, quite a start Sunday for the Americans in the post-Michael Phelps era."I'm happy to be here and kick the U.S. off," said Kalisz, who won the 400-meter individual medley.There was room for others to shine, as well. Host Japan won a swimming gold, Tunisia claimed a surprising spot atop the medal podium, and the mighty Australian women set the first world record of the competition in the 4x100 freestyle relay.The Americans certainly had no complaints about their opening-day performance. In Phelps' record-setting career, which encompassed five Summer Games, they never won six medals in the first session of finals."A pretty good start for the U.S.," said Kieran Smith, who in his first major international meet snagged a bronze in the men's 400 freestyle. "We executed today. I'm really proud of us."The Aussies, who hope to challenge America's dominance in the pool, picked up three medals Sunday. The free relay was never in doubt, not with a dynamic quartet that included sisters Bronte and Cate Campbell swimming the leadoff and anchor legs, respectively, joined by Meg Harris and Emma McKeon. McKeon blew away the field on the third leg and Cate Campbell touched in 3 minutes, 29.69 seconds. At the medal ceremony, the sisters touchingly draped their medals around each other's neck.The silver went to Canada in 3:32.78, while the Americans capped their morning with one more medal to surpass their best first-day haul from the Phelps era (five in both 2004 and 2008). With Simone Manuel anchoring the relay, they touched just behind their rivals to the north in 3:32.81.Kalisz was the first U.S. medal winner of the Tokyo Games, and Jay Litherland — who was born in Osaka — made it a 1-2 finish for the Americans by rallying on the freestyle leg to claim the silver. Brendon Smith of Australia earned the bronze.In the 400 free, 18-year-old Tunisian Ahmed Hafnaoui was the stunning winner from lane eight, his victory punctuated with loud screams that could be heard throughout the largely empty arena."I was surprised with myself," said Hafnaoui, who joined Ous Mellouli as a gold medalist from the north African country. "I couldn't believe it until I touched the wall and saw the 1 (on the scoreboard)."Hafnaoui finished in 3:43.26, followed by Australia's Jack McLoughlin and Kieran Smith. The top three were separated by less than a second after eight laps of the pool.The U.S. women did their part, too. Japan's Yui Ohashi won gold in the women's 400 IM with an electric breaststroke leg, but two Americans were right in her wake. Emma Weyant earned the silver, while the bronze went to Hali Flickinger."After we saw (Kalisz and Litherland go 1-2), we kind of looked at each other and said, 'It's our turn,'" Weyant said. "I think that really got our team going."Kalisz, a protégé and former training partner of Phelps, touched first in 4:09.42. Litherland was next in 4:10.28, just one-10th of a second ahead of Brendon Smith.Kalisz flexed his muscles and then climbed atop the lane rope, splashing the water while a contingent of his teammates cheered him from the stands at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. "U-S-A! U-S-A!" they chanted. Kalisz was the silver medalist in the grueling event at the Rio Games five years ago. Now, at age 27, he's the best in the world at using all four strokes."That one was the most special type of pain," Kalisz said. "I had vowed that I was going to make that hurt as much as possible and give my absolute best to accomplish this."Litherland came over to give the winner a hug, having ensured the Americans got off to the best possible start at the pool."To come back and do this with Chase means a lot," said Litherland, who finished fifth in the 400 IM at Rio.After putting on their medals during a masked-up victory ceremony, Kalisz and Litherland walked around the deck arm-in-arm. No social distancing for them.The Americans seized their chance after Japanese star Daiya Seto stunningly failed to advance to the final, having finished ninth in the preliminaries after making a tactical error attempting to save his energy for the medal race.The finals were held in the morning Tokyo time rather than their usual evening slot, a nod to U.S. television network NBC, which wanted to show the finals live in prime time back in America.That was the same format used at the 2008 Beijing Games, where Phelps won a record eight gold medals. He retired after Rio, having captured 23 gold medals overall, but the Americans still have plenty of star power for the post-Phelps era.Ohashi helped to make up for Seto's flop in the men's IM. She pulled away in the breast to win in 4:32.08.Weyant gave chase in the freestyle leg but settled for silver in 4:32.76. Flickinger was third in 4:34.90, while Hungarian great Katinka Hosszu, the defending champion, faded to fifth.The only people in the stands of the 15,000-seat arena were media, VIPs, officials and swimmers who weren't competing Sunday. It was an eerily quiet atmosphere at times, though many ignored requests by Japanese organizers to refrain for any sort of cheering to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.There was a drum in the stands, as well as a few horns to spice things up. In a striking touch before the first race, the loudspeakers blared the song "Pompeii" by the British band Bastille, which includes the lyrics, "But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?"In the pool, it was business at usual. But it certainly felt like plenty had changed in an Olympics that were delayed a year by a worldwide pandemic and are finally being staged under tight restrictions that included a ban on all fans.The Americans had no complaints.Even with Phelps looking down from a broadcast seat, they are off to a dynamic start at the Olympic pool.

well the cellar summer olympics are 100 days away and the Games are returning to Tokyo for the first time since 1964. NBC fires marshall Krimsky joining us live with a story about a Vermont man who is no stranger to swimming to the top of the olympic podium. Marshall. The last time the olympic games were in Tokyo, where in 1964 Shelburne resident Jed Graf won the gold medal for the 200 m backstroke despite the Games taking place 57 years ago. Graff remembers every moment and movement from his strokes. In Tokyo, I had probably my best start. I mean I was gone with the gun. That was pretty much the race right there. On just the third day of the 1964 summer olympics in Tokyo. American swimmer. Jed graph made history easily. It was actually harder to make the team than to make the finals in Tokyo just because we were so dominant, proven by a final touch of the pad and a look up at the leaderboard. I saw next to my name that said A one and and N. W. For new world record, a world record meant a gold medal followed by a U. S. A sweep of the 200 m backstroke that's me with my arms up High in the center to the right of me, you'll see Gary Dilley with his hands still on the blocks, he took second by 2/10 of a 2nd. 2/10 is about like that. And I had noticed whenever he did a start on the go, he would pull himself up and then release. He was giving away time. That actually is why I won the race and I've sort of felt mildly guilty sort of conflicted about it over the years that I didn't tell him about it. I mean, it was a glaring flaw divided in the pool by lanes you define on the podium by flag. That's sort of right after the race. The two were joined by an american teammate and bronze medalist bob Bennett, amazingly emotional experience. Just standing there for that ceremony. Once graph was etched into olympic history in his lone event. To him, the more meaningful part again to me, the fondest memory is living in the olympic village. I mean that was height of Cold War, but you've got five athletes from all over the world. None of them care about politics, Everybody talks to each other and just a really nice experience. The world was a lot different than yet. The advice graph gives the gold medal hopefuls still rings true. It's really just a matter of maintaining that focus and uh, not, not get distracted focus plus good timing could equal sports immortality grab can tell olympic stories for hours beyond his event. For example, two time NBA champion, his former Princeton classmate and former american senator Bill Bradley actually helped graft sneak into the team USA basketball game against the soviet Union. On the american basketball teams. Way to their own gold medal in Tokyo 57 years later, restrictions and security might be a little bit stricter reporting live in Williston on the road to the Tokyo Tokyo Olympics. Marshall Krimsky, NBC five News. Mhm. Marshall Great Story.

'Amazingly emotional experience': 1964 Olympic gold medalist recounts his race in Tokyo Games

Updated: 7:33 AM EDT May 25, 2021

NBC5 Sportsdesk Anchor/Reporter

The Summer Olympics are fast approaching. The games are returning to Tokyo for the first time since 1964. Jed Graef from Vermont won a gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke in the 1964 Olympics. Despite the games taking place 57 years ago, Graef remembers every moment, and movement, from his race for gold. "I had probably my best start, I was gone with the gun...that was pretty much the race right there on the start," Graef said. On just the third day of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Graef, an American swimmer, made history."It was actually harder to make the team than to make the finals in Tokyo just because we were so dominant," Graef said.Proven by a final touch of the pad, and a look up at the leaderboard. "I saw next to my name, I saw a ‘1’ and an ‘NW’ for ‘New World Record,’" Graef said.A world record, meant a gold medal – followed by a USA sweep of the 200-meter Backstroke. Graef defeated Silver Medalist Gary Dilley by two-tenths of a second."Now two-tenths is about 'tap tap,' I had noticed after we started training together out in Palo Alto after the Olympic trials, whenever he did a start on the go, he would pull himself up and the go on the release. He was giving away time on that, I sort of felt mildly guilty over the years that I didn’t tell him about it, I mean it was a glaring flaw," Graef said.Divided in the pool by lanes, unified on the podium by the flag., the two were joined by American teammate and Bronze Medalist Bob Bennett. "That was right after the race, this is the three of us," Graef said. "An amazingly emotional experience standing there for that ceremony."Once Graef was etched into Olympic history in his lone event, to him, the more meaningful part began."To me the fondest memory is living in the Olympic Village, that was the height of the Cold War, but you got 5,000 athletes from all over the world, nobody cares about politics," Graef said.The world was a lot different then. Yet the advice Graef gives to gold medal hopefuls still rings true."It’s really just a matter of maintaining that focus and not getting distracted," Graef said.

SHELBURNE, Vt. —

The Summer Olympics are fast approaching. The games are returning to Tokyo for the first time since 1964.

Jed Graef from Vermont won a gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke in the 1964 Olympics. Despite the games taking place 57 years ago, Graef remembers every moment, and movement, from his race for gold.

"I had probably my best start, I was gone with the gun...that was pretty much the race right there on the start," Graef said.

On just the third day of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Graef, an American swimmer, made history.

"It was actually harder to make the team than to make the finals in Tokyo just because we were so dominant," Graef said.

Proven by a final touch of the pad, and a look up at the leaderboard.

"I saw next to my name, I saw a ‘1’ and an ‘NW’ for ‘New World Record,’" Graef said.

A world record, meant a gold medal – followed by a USA sweep of the 200-meter Backstroke. Graef defeated Silver Medalist Gary Dilley by two-tenths of a second.

"Now two-tenths is about 'tap tap,' I had noticed after we started training together out in Palo Alto after the Olympic trials, whenever he did a start on the go, he would pull himself up and the go on the release. He was giving away time on that, I sort of felt mildly guilty over the years that I didn’t tell him about it, I mean it was a glaring flaw," Graef said.

Divided in the pool by lanes, unified on the podium by the flag., the two were joined by American teammate and Bronze Medalist Bob Bennett.

"That was right after the race, this is the three of us," Graef said. "An amazingly emotional experience standing there for that ceremony."

Once Graef was etched into Olympic history in his lone event, to him, the more meaningful part began.

"To me the fondest memory is living in the Olympic Village, that was the height of the Cold War, but you got 5,000 athletes from all over the world, nobody cares about politics," Graef said.

The world was a lot different then. Yet the advice Graef gives to gold medal hopefuls still rings true.

"It’s really just a matter of maintaining that focus and not getting distracted," Graef said.