If the USA women had not captured the landmark medal, Michael Phelps and the men’s 4×100 medley relay squad would have done so, the quartet winning gold in the next event in the pool, which was also the final race on the Rio swimming programme.
Advertisement
The U.S. claimed its 1,000th gold medal in Summer Olympics history when Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Dana Vollmer and Simone Manuel won the women’s 4×100-meter medley.
The total far outdistances the next-highest country, Russia, who have 577 golds if counting all the various incarnations under which they have competed.
The win made Phelps the oldest individual swimming gold medallist in Olympic history at 31.
The Americans finished off the final night at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium by equaling their biggest medal haul in the last three decades. “I know there were a lot of questions coming in, but to see the US dominate the sport of swimming again, it’s great”, Sakovich said.
“This is the way I wanted to finish my career”, he said. Tonight’s the last one.
If this was indeed the end, then Phelps went out in style, with 28 medals overall, having won five golds and a silver in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio Olympics spokesman Mario Andrada says the “radical measure” was necessary to ensure clear water for both judges and competitors, since synchronized swimmers spend much of their time underwater. It’s great for Jacksonville, and for swimming in general. The 800 free relay guys said four more years … No.
“It’s wild”, said Phelps.
Ledecky has no regrets over her decision to remain an amateur for the time being.
“I’m not going four more years and I’m standing by that”, Phelps said.
Venus Williams can become the first tennis player with five career Olympic golds, pairing with Rajeev Ram against Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock in an all-American mixed doubles final.
There are several factors that go into the success of the USA program, starting with some simple numbers.
Katie Ledecky, left, and Leah Smith, right, dive at the start of the women’s 800-meter freestyle final at the US Olympic swimming trials, in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, July 2, 2016. She won the race in dominating, Usain Bolt-like fashion – and it may be a sign of things to come for Jamaica in the coming days.
Now that he’s retired he’ll have even more time to focus on his foundation, helping to bring through the next on a long conveyor belt of American swimming talent. Over eight nights in Omaha, just a month before the games and following the same schedule of events, swimmers earned their way onto the team before sellout crowds of more than 14,000 at every session.
Advertisement
“He’s too special”, Bowman said when asked if he was now hunting for someone to take Phelps’ mantle. “Obviously the crowd here hasn’t been that intimidating to us”.
