Leading at the midway point, Lochte faded to fifth – almost three seconds behind the victor.
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Ryan Lochte, Phelps’ longtime friend and rival, finished fifth. Instead, Lochte slowed dramatically after the backstroke leg.
Franklin failed to even make it to the final of her two individual events.
“Well, it was sentimental”. I got my lanes mixed up. Before I teed off, my head was everywhere.
He’ll have his own home crowd cheering for him about 4,800 miles away when the Ravens broadcast his race on the video boards at M&T Bank Stadium during tonight’s preseason game. But that doesn’t mean I’m anywhere close to being done with this sport or that I don’t have anything left to give. “But at the same time, I still need to hit a good shot”.
And second of all, this persona of his as a laid back party boy relies upon him being seen as the opposite of Phelps. “And I just want to be inspiration to others that you can do it”.
Murphy also won the 100 back, becoming the third American man in the last five Olympics to take both races.
That victory, the 13th individual triumph of his Olympics career, meant he surpassed the greatest athlete of ancient Greece and indeed of the Games – Leonidas of Rhodes.
“The history him and I have had with one another is something special and something I’ve never had with another competitor of mine”, Phelps said.
“I think the biggest thing for me through the meet so far is I’ve been able to kind of finish like I wanted to”, Phelps said. “That’s all I can ask for”.
The Iron Lady is chasing her fourth gold medal.
“In my mind I was winning”.
The achievements of Leonidas, a runner who competed between 164 and 152 BC, were recorded by Philostratus the Athenian and Pausanias who told of the his 12 triumphs, according to the official Olympics website.
Both Phelps and Lochte had dominated the event over the past decade.
The Rio Olympics have been another display of Michael Phelps and the swimming team’s dominance. He became the first swimmer to win the same event four consecutive times.
Coming in already holding the record for most gold medals and overall medals won in the Games, he’s been adding more.
Le Clos is due to race in the final of the 100m butterfly and this could have an impact on his decision around the relay, considering his struggles in the 200m fly earlier in the week. He won his 100 fly semifinal six minutes after his 200 IM medal ceremony.
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Phelps won eight golds in Beijing 2008.
