If the USA women had not captured the landmark medal, Michael Phelps and the men’s 4×100 medley relay squad would have done so, the quartet winning gold in the next event in the pool, which was also the final race on the Rio swimming program.
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Phelps confirmed to fans that he will not be competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “Tonight’s the last time that I’ll be suiting up and racing at this level”.
The Baltimore native will swim in the 400-meter medley relay race Saturday night in Rio.
With a gold medal around his neck.
At 31, he sounds much more adamant when he says his swimming career really is over. They give him that space because he is the greatest.
On a victory stroll around the pool, Phelps and his teammates grabbed a sign that said, “Thank You Rio”.
Two-time gold medalist Murphy put the Americans out front with a world-record split on the backstroke – it counts since he was leading off – but Britain surged ahead on the breaststroke with its own world-record holder, Adam Peaty.
On the return lap, Phelps powered through the water with his windmill of a stroke, surging ahead of James Guy to pass off a lead to the anchor Adrian. The winning time was 3:53.13. Britain held on for silver, with Australia nabbing bronze.
The medley relay team of Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Dana Vollmer and Simone Manuel won the penultimate swimming event of the 2016 Olympics.
“One thousand gold medals is a remarkable achievement made possible by the culture of sport that is the fabric and foundation of Team USA”, United States Olympic Committee (USOC) head Scott Blackmun said.
The two highest gold-medal totals in an individual Olympics for U.S. came in years the country hosted – 1904 in St. Louis (76) and 1984 in Los Angeles (83).
Great Britain finished 1.29 seconds behind United States of America – who set a new Olympic record of three minutes and 27.95 seconds – to take silver, with Australia taking the bronze. She already became the first African-American woman to win an Olympic swimming title with her win in the 100 free.
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After her landmark victory in the 100 free, Manuel settled for silver this time in 24.09. The 23 US gold medals thus far in Rio were won in swimming (15), gymnastics (2), track and field (2), cycling (1), judo (1), rowing (1), and shooting (1).
