Michael Phelps is used to rewriting history – now he’s eclipsing it too.
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Phelps holds a record 22 gold medals (26 medals overall), the latest secured in the 200-meter individual medley final on Thursday.
In doing so, Schooling was faster than a qualifying pack that includes Phelps, who has already won four gold medals in Rio.
Both Lochte and Pereira faded on the last 50 as Kosuke Hagino of Japan and Wang Shun of China both edged out in front of the two veterans.
The achievements of Leonidas, a runner who competed between 164 and 152 BC, were recorded by Philostratus the Athenian and Pausanias who told of the his 12 triumphs, according to the official Olympics website.
Phelps’ mother, Debbie, sounded bullish on her son competing in what would be his sixth Olympics where he’d be 35 years old.
History is arguably made in every second of competition in the Olympics, but two United States swimmers went above and beyond, Thursday night.
Ch-ch-check out Phelps’ historic win (below)!
Phelps has another chance to further his grip on the record with the 100-metre butterfly event still to come and with two gold medals already in his back pocket, it would be hard to rule him out. On Friday night, the 31-year-old will attempt to win his 14th individual gold in the men’s 100-meter butterfly.
The Fiji men’s rugby team won the country’s first-ever gold medal after handily defeating Britain in the championship rugby sevens match 43-7.
Phelps has won four gold medals in Rio after coming out of retirement for one last crack at the Olympics and he has won the 200 metre individual medley four times.
Canada’s Penny Oleksiak has become the first gold medallist from any country to be born in the 21st century. “The 200 back is an event I really have to dig deep for, so this one means a little bit more to me”. “That was a real breakthrough for me to be able to win that one”. As the two have moved into their 30s, they have more readily displayed a genuine, profound respect for the other.
Phelps now has four gold medals in his comeback Olympics, with chances for two more. Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom finished third.
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As the race neared a close, he exclaimed: “Ryan Lochte is going to beat Michael Phelps in the Games!”
