Tonight, Phelps has the 200m butterfly final – where he’ll try to reclaim his gold from rival Chad le Clos of South Africa – at about 9:25 p.m. ET.
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Phelps will look to win a second gold medal on the night, as he’ll be swimming the anchor in the 4×200 freestyle relay.
Phelps was second, but surprisingly after his fast start, Le Clos was outside the top three. Footage of the swimmer looking super pissed off and focused while le Clos warmed up backstage was quick to go viral on Monday, but it was all just a precursor for what was to come.
The victory clearly delighted Phelps, who held up one finger, then sat on a lane rope and egged on the roaring crowd at the Olympic Aquatic Stadium.
Cseh began to fade, with Le Clos moving into second at the 150 metre-mark but the South African could not match Phelps in the final lap, with the American punching the air in delight after stepping out.
Phelps, who would have had four successive wins in the event but for that London race, has now amassed a record-extending 24 Olympic medals with the chance of another later on Tuesday in the 4×200 freestyle relay.
In the personal information section, it listed Le Clos’ nickname as “Michael Phelps Pool Boy”.
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Hungary’s 19-year-old Tamas Kenderesi surpassed his veteran teammate Cseh to clinch a superb bronze medal in 1:53.62, with Le Clos fading to fourth, more than a half-a-body length behind Phelps in a time of 1:54.06.
