Not even by his biggest rival. But their last race, was not one of them.
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In Thursday night’s 200-meter individual medley, Phelps bested Lochte and the field to win his record 22nd Olympic gold.
He became the first swimmer to win the same event at four consecutive Olympics with the win, clocking in 1 minute 54.66 seconds for 200m individual medley on Thursday, nearly two seconds ahead of Japan’s Kosuke Hagino.
The win also gave him his 13th individual gold medal, the most in an Olympic career.
Japan’s Kosuke Hagino won silver followed by Wang Shun of China, who took bronze.
For fans who tune into swimming only when the Olympics roll around, Phelps’s longtime coach Bob Bowman had a message: Phelps may make it look easy, but it isn’t.
It’s the historic call broadcasters dream about while covering the Olympics – but one commentator is apologizing Thursday after apparently mixing up the swimming lanes.
RIO DE JANEIRO-Ryan Lochte’s last individual event at the Rio de Janeiro Games, and possibly of his Olympics career, did not end the way he wanted to.
“The competitive environment between those two guys has always been good”, said Gregg Troy, who coached both swimmers at the 2012 Olympics.
“Yes, you could definitely say that”, Lochte said.
In a WJZ Baltimore TV interview recorded half his lifetime ago, 15-year old Phelps talked about how cool it would be to become a champion. I thought, “Wow, I only have to put a racing suit on two more times after tonight and I only have to warm down one more time after tonight”.
Michael Phelps looks up at the USA flag as it’s raised during the medal ceremony Thursday, August 13, 2016, where he was awarded his 22nd career Gold Olympic Medal.
“Being able to finish how I won is just something very special to me and this is why you are seeing more and more emotion on the medal podium”. “My hat’s off to him”. “I’m definitely going to cherish it for the rest of my life”, said Lochte.
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But at the U.S. Olympic swim trials this summer, Phelps said their relationship has evolved.
