Callus did well to stave off the faster and more experienced Lezak, giving Thorpe a slender lead. The fast-finishing Thorpe managed to overhaul the fast-starting Gary Hall Jr. by a handspan, sealing a gold medal in a world record time of 3 min 13.67 s, almost two seconds below the previous world mark.
Callus's strong performance prevented Lezak from gaining an advantage, allowing Thorpe to take the lead. Thorpe then overtook Hall Jr. at the end to win gold in a world record time, breaking the previous record by a significant margin.