RIO DE JANEIRO Michael Phelps seized the 20th Olympic gold medal of a swimming career that keeps on giving with a 200 metres butterfly triumph on Tuesday that avenged his stinging 2012 defeat to South African Chad Le Clos. Ledecky, 19 is often called the future of American swimming; Phelps has sometimes been seen as part of its past.
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In a race for the ages, Michael Phelps took back his 200 meter butterfly title, winning by.04 of a second over Japan’s Masato Sakai at the Rio Olympics. She recorded a winning time of 1:53.73, 0.35 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom.
“I was pretty fired up after that race”, Phelps said. Phelps swam the anchor leg.
The American crushed fierce rival Chad le Clos to regain his 200 meters butterfly title in a dust-up bristling with tension, celebrating by pointing to the sky and gesturing to the Rio crowd to “bring the noise” – an order they duly obeyed.
This is the one Michael Phelps really wanted, and it showed. The silver went to Sjostrom in 1:54.08, while early leader Emma McKeon faded to the bronze in 1:54.92.
Ledecky scooped her second gold of the Games after holding off a fearless charge from Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom in the women’s 200m freestyle. “I couldn’t have gone any faster, it’s impossible”. You know, the guy who danced in front of Phelps on Monday night.
But after his win in the butterfly, new wrinkles emerged.
Remarkably, Phelps has won more than twice as many Olympic gold medals as the athlete second on the list, former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who has nine. He ended up taking what looked to be a very deep breath.
There was a huge roar from the Rio crowd when Phelps sprang from the block with a lead of 1.76 seconds over Japan, and 2.88 seconds over Britain.
Some, however, carry far more significance than others.
Conger recorded the best time for the US, finishing his leg in 1:45.73, while Smith started the race with a time of 1:47.20.
Instead it was Phelps, the most successful Olympian of all time, who stole the limelight, extending his career medal tally to 25 by adding golds number 20 and 21.
Lochte’s program was paired down after the U.S. Trials in June, where he qualified to only swim the relay and the 200m individual medley, which begins Wednesday.
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The Hungarian, who had already won the 100-meter backstroke and 400-meter individual medley, finished just ahead of Great Britain’s Siobhan-Marie O’Connor and American Maya Dirado. From gold in London in 2012 to nothing in 2016. His first event was the Men’s 100m freestyle relay where he won the first gold medal of the Summer Games. China has the second-most medals, with 17.
