It seems nearly impossible for three athletes to finish at the exact same time, but such three-way ties had happened 20 times before at the Olympics, according to sports historian Bill Mallon. With a timing quicker than any of Phelp’s previous win timings in the last two Olympics, 21-year-old Singaporean swam the 100 in 50.39 seconds which is an Olympic record.
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It would have been reasonable to expect an up-and-down effort in Rio from the 31-year-old given the trials and tribulations that consumed him away from the sport, but Phelps has exceeded every expectation and cemented his status as the greatest Olympian in history with four golds and a silver to his name already this year.
Singaporeans burst into cheers after the nation’s Joseph Schooling won the nation’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the Men’s 100m Butterfly Finals on Saturday.
South Africa’s world champion Chad Le Clos, who shared the 100m butterfly silver medal in London with Russia’s Yevgeny Korotyshkin, was seventh. I just won my first Olympic gold medal, so I can’t imagine 22 – that’s out of world.
When asked what Phelps said to him after the race, Schooling said, “Good job, that was a great race”, He added: “I told him to go four more years and he said “No way”.
United States’ Michael Phelps and Singapore’s Joseph Schooling check their times after a men’s 100-meter butterfly heat during the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Schooling’s dream of swimming in the same race as Michael first came true in 2012 when he was 17 years old and he qualified for the London Olympics, Straits Times reported. The 2016 Rio Olympics have also been important to Michael for personal reasons, including now, as news from his fiancee, Nicole Johnson, that they have set a date for their wedding. He also broke two Asian records. After that, Phelps will hang up his cap – not the one he ripped in half before the 4×200 freestyle relay – and spend more time with his loved ones.
This was only the fifth of Phelps’ 27 Olympic medals that have not been gold.
It’s the final day of swimming at the Rio Olympics and four gold medals are up for grabs.
“I have two laps left in my career so I am happy and I’m excited and looking forward to tomorrow”, Phelps said. “Can’t complain too much”, he said. That’s why I came back after ’12.
Meanwhile, President Tony Tan had this to say, “Witnessed history being created today!”.
He punched the water and bellowed as Phelps swam over to congratulate him.
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“It’s faster than I went four years ago to win, but Joe’s tough”, Phelps said. Then, Ervin walked away from swimming, skipping the next two Olympics while he embarked on a journey to find his goal in life.
