Phelps scoops another gold
Source: Agencies |
August 5, 2012, Sunday
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Print Edition
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MICHAEL Phelps showed no signs of complacency on the eve of his retirement and provided an unforgettable reminder of his talent and unquenchable determination to win by snatching the 100m butterfly gold at the London Olympic Games on Friday.
The American, whose list of achievements in the Olympic pool are already beyond comparison, came from seventh place at the turn to overpower his rivals and win his 17th gold medal.
His victory capped an extraordinary night of swimming at London's Aquatic Centre where Missy Franklin broke the world record in the 200 backstroke and her 15-year-old teammate Katie Ledecky pulled off a stunning upset in the 800 freestyle.
Only Frenchman Florent Manaudou, the younger brother of Laure Manaudou, prevented an American sweep of the four golds on offer when he won the 50 freestyle sprint to join his famous sister as an Olympic champion.
Phelps and Franklin became the first triple gold medalists of the London Games and the pair look certain to win one more each in the medley relays when the eight-day competition ends later yesterday.
Slim chances
Phelps won the 100 butterfly gold at the last two Olympics but his chances of making it three in a row looked slim when he turned for home and all but one of his opponents were ahead of him.
But once he started to roll over his giant shoulders and kick his powerful feet as fast and hard as he could, he quickly caught up and powered past them all to win in a time of 51.21 seconds.
South Africa's Chad le Clos, who beat Phelps in the 200 butterfly final, dead-heated for second with Russia's Evgeny Korotyshkin but neither man could hold off Phelps, who now has 21 Olympic medals.
"This is my last individual event. It was awesome," Phelps said.
"This swim was pretty important to me. I wanted to win."
Franklin, competing in her first Olympics, confirmed her arrival as the new queen of the pool when she blew away her opponents, finishing well clear of Russia's Anastasia Zueva, who won the silver medal, and America's Elizabeth Beisel, who collected bronze.
Franklin, who also won gold in the 100 backstroke and 4x200 freestyle relay, finished in 2:04.06, slashing three-quarters of a second off Kirsty Coventry's world record, the seventh time a mark set when polyurethane was the suit du jour has been broken in as many days in the London Olympic pool.
"I knew I was going to take it out and have fun and that is what I did," she said.
"I am the happiest girl alive."
The American, whose list of achievements in the Olympic pool are already beyond comparison, came from seventh place at the turn to overpower his rivals and win his 17th gold medal.
His victory capped an extraordinary night of swimming at London's Aquatic Centre where Missy Franklin broke the world record in the 200 backstroke and her 15-year-old teammate Katie Ledecky pulled off a stunning upset in the 800 freestyle.
Only Frenchman Florent Manaudou, the younger brother of Laure Manaudou, prevented an American sweep of the four golds on offer when he won the 50 freestyle sprint to join his famous sister as an Olympic champion.
Phelps and Franklin became the first triple gold medalists of the London Games and the pair look certain to win one more each in the medley relays when the eight-day competition ends later yesterday.
Slim chances
Phelps won the 100 butterfly gold at the last two Olympics but his chances of making it three in a row looked slim when he turned for home and all but one of his opponents were ahead of him.
But once he started to roll over his giant shoulders and kick his powerful feet as fast and hard as he could, he quickly caught up and powered past them all to win in a time of 51.21 seconds.
South Africa's Chad le Clos, who beat Phelps in the 200 butterfly final, dead-heated for second with Russia's Evgeny Korotyshkin but neither man could hold off Phelps, who now has 21 Olympic medals.
"This is my last individual event. It was awesome," Phelps said.
"This swim was pretty important to me. I wanted to win."
Franklin, competing in her first Olympics, confirmed her arrival as the new queen of the pool when she blew away her opponents, finishing well clear of Russia's Anastasia Zueva, who won the silver medal, and America's Elizabeth Beisel, who collected bronze.
Franklin, who also won gold in the 100 backstroke and 4x200 freestyle relay, finished in 2:04.06, slashing three-quarters of a second off Kirsty Coventry's world record, the seventh time a mark set when polyurethane was the suit du jour has been broken in as many days in the London Olympic pool.
"I knew I was going to take it out and have fun and that is what I did," she said.
"I am the happiest girl alive."
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