Phelps has beaten Lochte every time they’ve met in the finals of the event at the Olympics.
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It’ll be all business on Thursday night. “We’ve been racing for 12 years, and with one more battle, it will be fun”. The Americans are the top two all-time performers in the event. “The history we have is something special and something I’ve never had with any other competitor of mine”.
“I consider Ryan and I have probably grown closer as friends this year than we have in the past, so we’ll have one more time to hop in the pool and duke it out”.
In the women’s all-around, Simone Biles is the favorite to win gold and Aly Raisman will be a medal contender. Phelps is already the most decorated Olympian of all time.
Lochte finished half a second behind him with Brazil’s Thiago Perreira third in 1:57.11. But he did cruise through the semifinals of the 200 individual medley with the fastest time, besting longtime rival and countryman Ryan Lochte.
“It’s going to take a flawless performance in order to beat him just because of how tough a competitor he is”, Lochte said. “He won’t give up and that’s awesome. That’s why he brings out the best in me and hopefully I do the exact same for him”.
He came to Rio seeking to overturn a provisional ban imposed last month by the IAAF governing body. The clock is ticking down on Phelps, who races five more times before hanging up his suit at age 31.
Regardless of the outcome, the atmosphere back in their room at the Olympic Village will stay chill. With one egg left in his basket, another 200 IM showdown against Phelps. Since 1988, Greece has been the only host country not to win a swimming medal – in 2004.
Phelps, competing Thursday evening in the 200-meter individual medley, is looking for his 22nd Olympic gold medal.
In the women’s races, Ledecky, 19, pipped Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom and Australia’s Emma McKeon to win the 200 freestyle, on top of her victory in the 400 on Sunday.
“I’m just thankful, that’s for sure, I wanted that one back”, he said.
Katie Ledecky, who swam a spectacular anchor split in the 4 x 200 freestyle relay on Wednesday night to clinch gold for the US, has emerged as Phelps’ co-star.
On the fifth night of swimming at the Olympic Aquatic Center, 18-year-old Kyle Chalmers dethroned defending champion Nathan Adrian in the final of the 100 freestyle, the first Australian to be crowned king of speed in 48 years.
Days after Schwazer won the world championship in Rome in May, he tested positive for a steroid in further analysis of a sample given in January.
For now, he added, “I’m really, really exhausted”. She also anchored the USA 4x100m free relay team to silver behind Australia.
In the 200 butterfly, he touched the wall in one minute, 53.36 seconds to beat Japan’s Masato Sakai by 0.04 seconds, with Hungary’s Tamas Kenderesi taking the bronze.
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“That’s a lot of medals”, grinned the American.
