Following his 100 fly loss, Phelps was noticeably content – perhaps even cheerful in a unusual way. They met eight years earlier in Singapore, during the Americans’ pre-Beijing training camp.
Advertisement
Phelps quickly swam over to congratulate Schooling, who seemed stunned by what he had done.
On the medal stand, though, the emotions swept over her.
“I’m happy”, Phelps said. “It’s an honor and privilege to even race alongside him”. By way of variation there was only silver for the incomparable Michael Phelps on an eventful night of competition but the Star Spangled Banner was otherwise played on a loop.
“I hit all my goals right on the nose this week”, said Ledecky, adding that her goal in the 800 free was “8:05 or better”.
‘I have been working on that side as well and not just the physical aspect’. Nobody likes to lose. He swam the best race.
“I don’t know why I’m crying”. “That really meant a lot to me”.
As Phelps fielded question after question in the postrace news conference, he chided reporters.
“My body is in pain, my legs are hurting”, said Phelps after a crushing 200m fly win.
Peaty, who last Sunday won 100m breaststroke gold, combined with Chris Walker-Hebborn, James Guy and Duncan Scott to clock a British record 3mins 30.47secs in Friday afternoon’s heats.
Schooling shook his head, blushing uncomfortably.
He was part of the first three-way tie for silver in Olympic swimming history, joined on the next-highest step by longtime foes Chad le Clos of South Africa and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary. And Maya DiRado knocked off the Iron Lady in the 200 backstroke, pulling off a furious rally on the final lap to beat Katinka Hosszu.
Ledecky, who cried during the post-race media conference, said she and coach Bruce Gemmell had also burst into tears after the race.
“That’s pretty insane, what happens in eight years”, said Schooling, who attends the University of Texas. There were nights I would go to bed and think about this day (and) how much fun I’ve had these past four years, and I’d start crying in bed.
“The Olympics are the pinnacle of our sport, and I have to wait another four years to have that moment, and I just wanted to enjoy it”, Ledecky said.
Ledecky did more than just that.
“I think it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever seen true emotion come out and I think that was something really cool for me to see.”Ledecky is the first Olympian to take the 200m, 400m and 800m gold at a single Games since another United States teenager, Debbie Meyer, achieved the feat at Mexico City in 1968 – the year the 800m was added to the programme”. She remains undefeated in major worldwide individual events.
“What she’s doing in the sport is ridiculous”.
Advertisement
“It felt faster than any event I had ever done before”, Ledecky said, “so I was pretty confident that I would be under that world record time”. A few things we won’t tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, proselytizing and SHOUTING.
