Like many of his contemporaries in Rio, who grew up idolising Phelps, he keeps an old photo of himself as a bespectacled teenager with the American that was taken at a meeting in Singapore after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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Le Clos finished Friday night’s (Saturday morning, SA time) 100m butterfly in a insane three-way tie for second with Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh and American great Michael Phelps while Singapore’s Joseph Schooling won gold.
The three-time defending-champion US women’s soccer team was ousted by Sweden on penalties 4-3 following a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinals. “The memories mean more than the medals to me”. “I think there are some pressures that come with being a professional swimmer, and I don’t think I am ready for that”. That’s what happened in 2012, when Canada’s Derek Drouin, Britain’s Robbie Grabarz and Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim won high jump bronze.
You have to go back 52 years for the last Olympic race to end in a three-way dead heat for medals.
Lochte said Friday on NBC’s “Today” that his rivalry with Phelps will “definitely” have another chapter at the Tokyo Games in 2020. “I believe that”, said Schooling.
Out in Lane 2 after posting a mediocre qualifying time, Phelps was out of touch with the fastest qualifier, Singapore’s Joseph Schooling, who’s ten years younger, and couldn’t find that extra gear that had always bailed him out of every jam.
In just one performance, Singapore’s Joseph Schooling beat swimming great Michael Phelps, took home his city state’s first Olympic gold medal and became an instant millionaire.
South Africa bagged its fifth medal at the Rio Olympics when Chad Le Clos won silver in the 100m swimming butterfly final on Friday.
With four gold medals at these games and 22 for his career, Phelps has an opportunity to pick up one more before he leaves Rio.
He punched the water and bellowed as Phelps swam over to congratulate him. “I got silver tie in London so a three way tie is insane”.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet”, Schooling said. I hope that Michael can stay around long enough for me to race him again.
Meanwhile, South African Brad Tandy almost caused a massive upset in the 50m freestyle final soon after Le Clos’ race as he blasted out of the blocks to take the lead for the first 25 metres.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet”. I said it a bunch before.
Katie Ledecky obliterated the field and her own world record in winning the 800m freestyle in 8min 04.79sec.
And Ervin’s victory came in the 50m freestyle, his second gold in the event after a tie with Gary Hall Junior at Sydney 2000.
Defending champion Florent Manaudou of France was quick off the blocks but Ervin and teammate Nathan Adrian were close behind and Ervin powered into the wall to beat the Frenchman with a time of 21.40 to 21.41.
The silver was the fourth of Cseh’s Olympic career and left him, at 30, still without a gold.
Hosszu, who set a world record in winning 400m medley gold then added the 100m backstroke and 200m medley titles, led through the first 150 meters, with DiRado clinging to her shoulder.
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“The goal was 8:05 or better”, she said.
