One last chance to step onto the podium by himself and not with relay teammates.
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Hosszu, the “Iron Lady” who withdrew from the 200 butterfly earlier on Tuesday to prepare for the individual medley final, is entered in one more individual event, the 200 backstroke.
Bethesda’s Katie Ledecky can’t stay hidden for long, not the way she, Michael Phelps and the other USA swimmers have been dominating the Rio Olympics. Kazakhstan claimed its first-ever swimming medal – a gold one, at that – when Dmitriy Balandin pulled off a stunning upset in the 200 breaststroke. She’s the world-record holder and defending Olympic champion in the 800 free.
Where does that leave Lochte?
That’s right: Phelps is now challenging records from the ancient Olympics, Before Christ.
Phelps won gold in the 200-meter IM in London in 2012 with a time of 1:54.30.
“I was prepared for any circumstance, whether we were ahead of behind”, Ledecky said. “He looked flat tonight, there was nothing there when we all wanted him to go”.
“I don’t want him to win and I’m sure he doesn’t want me to win”, said Phelps.
South African Le Clos, who won by a fingertip four years ago in London to rob the American of a hat-trick of titles, faded badly down the home stretch to miss out on a medal. Phelps is already the most decorated Olympian of all time. In any other era, he would be a swimming god. He was stone-faced and silent, but his motions loudly said, “I’ll take all comers”.
They are also roommates.
His pet events were the stadion (200 yards), the diaulos (400 yards) and the particularly impressive hoplitodromos – a 400-yard race run with bronze armour (weighing more than 20kg) and shield.
“Boy. what he did (in the 200m freestyle) was incredible, really, really just unbelievable”.
Despite sleeping just five hours in preparation for his first swim Wednesday, Schmitt’s buddy didn’t feel too shabby. But because a groin injury wrecked his Olympic Trials last month, he is down to the last of his two events. “We’ve been racing for 12 years, and with one more battle, it will be fun”.
Not since the Sydney 2000 Games, where his sole event was the 200m butterfly, has Phelps had a lighter Olympic workload.
Phelps will be seeking his fourth straight 200 IM title at the Olympics.
Thursday night very well could be the final time the two every face off in the pool. They’re more apt to crack each other up on the pool deck.
“It’s going to take a ideal performance to beat him”, Lochte said.
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How many more records and firsts can this man bring us?
