The biggest American names in Rio all took home gold on Tuesday.
Advertisement
Michael Phelps has claimed the 21st gold medal of his career, anchoring the United States to a dominating victory in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
RIO DE JANEIRO Michael Phelps won two gold medals on Tuesday, avenging his 200 meters butterfly defeat from the London Olympics and then anchoring the US 4×200 freestyle team to victory on a night of high drama and emotion in the pool. And there’s more to come.
On a day when the United States Women’s National Team disappointed on the soccer field and Serena Williams was eliminated from Olympic competition, events were anything but predictable.
As a squad, the US had the highest score in each of the four events – floor, vault, balance beam and uneven bars.
It has reached a point that everyone else in the pool truly is racing for second place – and they are happy to admit it.
With her victory, Ledecky comes closer to her goal of winning all three distance (200, 400 and 800 meter) freestyle races, having only the 800 meter race between her and matching a feat last performed by Debbie Meyer in 1968, according to the New York Times. But the 19-year-old American held off her Swedish rival in another stunning performance to clinch the gold, clocking 1:53.73.
South African Chad le Clos shocked Phelps by winning gold ahead of his idol, in Phelps’ signature event, at the London 2012 Games. Le Clos faded to fourth.
The oldest individual gold medalist in Olympic swimming history at 31, Phelps celebrated by hugging baby son Boomer after taking in the adulation of a raucous crowd. Ledecky now has the 200 and 400 titles, and she’s an overwhelming favorite to win the 800.
Asked by the media if she was the future of American swimming, Ledecky had the flawless response.
Ledecky won in 1:53.73, beating Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, who finished in 1:54.08. “That was such a tough race”, she explained. She had five double-faults in one game alone in the 6-4, 6-3 loss to the 20th-ranked Svitolina.
The U.S. men defeated France, 17-3, to take Olympic gold at Paris in 1924.
Phelps retired after the London Games, so it looked like he wouldn’t get a chance to make up for his defeat.
The Americans lost their first match in the waning seconds to Argentina, 17-14, but came back later in the day to trounce Brazil, 26-0.
Olympic rugby features fast-paced, high-scoring, seven-on-seven games.
Despite the tie, the USA still won the four-team Group G and will advance to a quarterfinal match in the capital Brasilia on Friday. World-record holder Federica Pelligrini of Italy was fourth.
The Hungarian known as the “Iron Lady” earned her third gold medal of the Rio Games with a victory in the 200 individual medley.
Hosszu was not the only swimmer to set an Olympic record on Tuesday.
Advertisement
“That event was kind of like my bread and butter, and that was the last time I’ll ever swim it”. “The better player won”. It was a great opportunity that didn’t work out the way I wanted it to. “It was awesome, but it’s over now”.
