Matthew Mclean, Michael Klueh, Connor Dwyer and Ryan Lochte pose with their Gold medals on the podium after winning the Men's 4x200-meters freestyle final during day two of the 11th FINA Short Course World Championships. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)

ISTANBUL — Ryan Lochte anchored a relay victory Thursday, while Matthew Grevers and Olivia Smoliga won the men’s and women’s 100-meter backstroke to improve the U.S. tally of gold to six medals Thursday at the short-course world championships.

Lochte established a strong lead for the Americans in the 4×200 freestyle and won his third gold at the event. Teammates Conor Dwyer, Michael Klueh and Matthew McLean maintained control to win gold in 6:51.40. Australia won the silver in 6:52.29 and

the Germans were third in 6:53.22. World record-holder Russia ended in fourth place.

Grevers won in 49.89 seconds, barely defeating Stanislav Donets of Russia, who finished in 49.91 in the next lane. The American won Olympic gold in the same event. Guilherme Guido of Brazil won bronze in 50.50.

[caption id="attachment_17657" align="aligncenter" width="596" caption="Gold medalist Matthew Grevers poses during the victory ceremony of the 100-met

Tags: 2012 FINA Short-course World Championships, Alia Atkinson, Australia, Brazil, Chad le Clos, Conor Dwyer, Daiya Seto, David Verraszto, Fabio Scozzoli, Guilherme Guido, Hungary, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Laszlo Cseh, Lithuania, Matt McLean, Matthew Grevers, Michael Klueh, Olivia Smoliga, Russia, Ruta Meilutyte, Ryan Lochte, Sarah Katsoulis, South Africa, Stanislav Donets, Tom Shields, USA

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