Nicole Auerbach

USA TODAY Sports

RIO DE JANEIRO — There’s a reason these U.S. male swimmers take such pride in their relay events: They don’t want to mess up a good thing. A really, really good thing.

The American men have won medals in every single relay in every single Olympics in which they’ve competed, an incredible streak that has now nearly survived another Games. On Tuesday night, led by Michael Phelps as the anchor, the U.S. men won the 4x200 freestyle relay — their fourth consecutive gold medal in the event.

The U.S. men won in 7:00.66, beating runner-up Britain and Japan.

The race brought Phelps his 25th Olympic medal, including 21 gold, the most of any Olympian. The relay came a little more than an hour after he won the 200 butterfly Tuesday night.

The Americans boasted a star-studded roster with 11-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte swimming the third leg and also Phelps — about an hour after winning the 200 fly final — anchoring the same relay he anchored back in London four years ago. Conor Dwyer led off, and Townley Haas completed the second leg.