The wins were Phelps’ fourth and fifth of the week, all of which have been in world-record time. “I think I’m kind of at a loss for words,” Phelps said. “Growing up, I always wanted to be an Olympian, and now to be the most decorated Olympian of all time, it just sounds weird saying it. I have absolutely nothing to say. I’m speechless. “I think it started setting in a little after the butterfly. I kept trying to focus on my next race, but I just kept thinking, ‘Wow. Greatest Olympian of all time.’ It’s a pretty cool title, I guess you could say. It’s pretty neat. I’m definitely honored.”
In addition to Phelps’ swims, four other world records were broken in Wednesday’s finals and semifinals. Breaking those records were Alain Bernard of France in the semifinals of the men’s 100m free (47.20); Eamon Sullivan of Australia in the semifinals of the men’s 100m free (47.05); Federica Pellegrini of Italy in the women’s 200m freestyle (1:54.82) and Stephanie Rice of Australia in the women’s 200m IM (2:08.45).
Natalie Coughlin won a third medal for the United States Wednesday, taking bronze in the women’s 200m IM in 2:10.34. Team USA’s medal tally after the four finals sessions stands at 18 – seven gold, five silver and six bronze.
Going into the finals of the men’s 200m fly, Phelps had been untouchable over the last few years. Not only did he hold eight of the top 10 times in history, but the second-fastest swimmer of all time –Olympic teammate Gil Stovall – was about a second and half behind Phelps’ former world record of 1:52.09.
On Wednesday, however, the world caught up a little bit, thanks in part to a goggle malfunction. His goggles filled with water, Phelps was out in front of the pack from start to finish, but had to hold off a charging Laszlo Cseh of Hungary in the final 25 meters. Cseh captured the silver .67 second behind Phelps in 1:52.70, while Takeshi Matsuda of Japan won bronze in 1:52.97. The three are now the three fastest swimmer of all time in this event.
“I couldn’t see anything for the last 100,” Phelps said. “My goggles pretty much filled up with water, and it just kept getting worse and worse through the race, and I was having trouble seeing the walls. But it’s fine. I wanted to break the record, and I did that. I wanted to go 1:51 or better, but under the circumstances I guess it’s not too bad.”
The circumstances got much better in the men’s 800m free, where the U.S. beat its former world record of 7:03.24 by more than four and a half seconds and bested the rest of the field by more than five. Russia finished second in 7:03.70, while Australia was third in 7:04.98. The U.S. is now the first and only 800m free relay team in history to break the seven-minute mark. “I’ve been a part of this relay for the past four years or so, and that’s something we’ve kind of talked about – getting under seven minutes,” Vanderkaay said. “I think we’ve been slowly inching toward that, and to be able to do it here is something really special. For us to come together is just a great feeling”
Berens agreed. “It’s amazing,” Berens said. “I watched this relay from my couch in 2004, and it was an honor to be on that relay today. Just setting the record and being with those guys is amazing. We all come here to swim for a world record, swim for a gold medal, and we’d love to be a part of history by helping Michael out with all those gold medals, but it’s also for our country and for pride.”
In other races, the field was off to a quick start in the women’s 200m free, with five swimmers under world-record pace at the first turn. Pellegrini took the lead at the 100-meter mark and hammered her way home for the gold. All three medalists finished under the former world record of 1:55.45, set by Pellegrini in prelims Monday. Sara Isakovich of Slovenia took the silver in 1:54.97, while Jiaying Pang of China won the bronze in 1:55.05. The lone American in the finals of the women’s 200m free, Katie Hoff, finished fourth with a time of 1:55.78.
Rice’s gold medal and world record were her second of the week after winning gold and setting the world record in the 400m IM on Sunday. She held off Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry down the homestretch, with Coventry touching 14-hundredths behind in 2:08.59. Both women finished under the former record of 2:08.92, held by Rice. Coughlin jumped out to a quick lead in the first 50 meters of the race, but finished nearly two seconds behind for bronze. Hoff, swimming in her second final of the day, was fourth in 2:10.68. “I didn’t even think I was going to do this event until a week or so before (Olympic) Trials,” Coughlin said. “So a medal of any color is very special to me, and I’m incredibly happy with how the race turned out. It wasn’t my prettiest swim ever, but I’m very, very happy with it.”
Semifinals
The world record was broken twice in the semifinals of the men’s 100m freestyle. Bernard broke it in the first heat, only to have that mark erased a few minutes later in the next heat by Sullivan. Jason Lezak, the hero of the men’s 400m free relay Monday, advanced to tomorrow’s finals with as the sixth seed in 47.98. Garrett Weber-Gale finished 10th in 48.12.
Kathleen Hersey and Elaine Breeden both qualified for the finals of the women’s 200m butterfly as the fifth and eight seeds, with times of 2:06.96 and 2:07.73, respectively. Zige Liu of China qualified first for tomorrow’s finals in 2:06.25.
Scott Spann qualified as the third seed for tomorrow’s finals of the men’s 200m breaststroke, turning in a time of 2:09.08. Teammate Eric Shanteau will miss swimming in the finals after finishing 10th in semis in 2:10.10. Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima set the Olympic record Wednesday in 2:08.61 and will be the top seed in tomorrow’s finals.
Olympic Results
Olympic Swimming Headquartersbr]Full Results From the Olympic Swimming Pool
