By Chris Chase
A swimming legend got one of his sweetest victories yet.
Michael Phelps defeated Ryan Lochte in their highly-anticipated 200 IM battle on Thursday night, becoming the first man to ever win three straight events at an Olympics and adding to his legacy as the greatest champion in the history of the Summer Games.
He got out to an early lead with a blistering butterfly leg, crushed Lochte in the backstroke, held the lead in the breaststroke, then pulled away at the end to seal his record 16th gold medal. It was his first individual gold in London.
Lochte finished with the silver. He had finished a surprising third in the 200 backstroke, his signature event, 40 minutes before the 200 IM final. It continues a relatively disappointing meet for the swimmer who was expected to win a fistful of golds in London. He needed this race to put his stamp on London.
For Phelps, the race merely adds to his legacy. He didn't need it to burnish it though; that was set the moment that 4x100 medley relay finished in Beijing and he clinched his record eighth medal in a single Olympics. That mark will never be topped and is unlikely to ever be approached.
If he was more 2012 than 2008 on Thursday night and either finished out of the medals (like the 400 IM) or finished poorly and earned a disappointing silver (like in the 200 fly), the Phelps story wouldn't have changed much. But getting a win over his younger, fitter rival in the race that's been circled on Olympic calendars since the schedule was released last year adds another great chapter.
Phelps is a different swimmer in London than he was in either Beijing or Athens. He's more relaxed. After eight years of watching him force his way through interviews, there's been a carefree breeze to his chats in London. You get the sense that this is the real Phelps.
When he swept Beijing, Phelps' reactions were as much about relief as they were joy. Never before had an Olympic athlete had as much pressure on him as Phelps had in Beijing. The press had been buzzing for four years about his chance to pass Mark Spitz and
London Phelps has been more laid back and relaxed. He's rebounded from two disasters with ease. When he finished out of the medals in the 400 IM, he was back one night later swimming a blistering 100 freestyle leg to help give the U.S. a lead in the 4x100 relay. On Tuesday, Phelps lost the 200 butterfly in a major competition for the first time in a decade. He was gracious in defeat, putting his arm around his vanquisher, South Africa's Chad Le Clos and speaking highly of him in a post-race press conference. One hour later, the loss was forgotten after he and his 4x200 relay teammates won gold, a medal which made Phelps the winningest Olympian in history.
For other athletes, it could have been a nightmare. Phelps barely let it bother him.
He is set to retire after London, meaning this race was the last he'll ever swim against Lochte. And as he has so many times before, Michael Phelps walked off the deck with the upper hand, 20 medals in his possession and another would-be vanquisher left in his wake.
Pagination
A swimming legend got one of his sweetest victories yet.
Michael Phelps defeated Ryan Lochte in their highly-anticipated 200 IM battle on Thursday night, becoming the first man to ever win three straight events at an Olympics and adding to his legacy as the greatest champion in the history of the Summer Games.
He got out to an early lead with a blistering butterfly leg, crushed Lochte in the backstroke, held the lead in the breaststroke, then pulled away at the end to seal his record 16th gold medal. It was his first individual gold in London.
Lochte finished with the silver. He had finished a surprising third in the 200 backstroke, his signature event, 40 minutes before the 200 IM final. It continues a relatively disappointing meet for the swimmer who was expected to win a fistful of golds in London. He needed this race to put his stamp on London.
For Phelps, the race merely adds to his legacy. He didn't need it to burnish it though; that was set the moment that 4x100 medley relay finished in Beijing and he clinched his record eighth medal in a single Olympics. That mark will never be topped and is unlikely to ever be approached.
If he was more 2012 than 2008 on Thursday night and either finished out of the medals (like the 400 IM) or finished poorly and earned a disappointing silver (like in the 200 fly), the Phelps story wouldn't have changed much. But getting a win over his younger, fitter rival in the race that's been circled on Olympic calendars since the schedule was released last year adds another great chapter.
Phelps is a different swimmer in London than he was in either Beijing or Athens. He's more relaxed. After eight years of watching him force his way through interviews, there's been a carefree breeze to his chats in London. You get the sense that this is the real Phelps.
When he swept Beijing, Phelps' reactions were as much about relief as they were joy. Never before had an Olympic athlete had as much pressure on him as Phelps had in Beijing. The press had been buzzing for four years about his chance to pass Mark Spitz and
London Phelps has been more laid back and relaxed. He's rebounded from two disasters with ease. When he finished out of the medals in the 400 IM, he was back one night later swimming a blistering 100 freestyle leg to help give the U.S. a lead in the 4x100 relay. On Tuesday, Phelps lost the 200 butterfly in a major competition for the first time in a decade. He was gracious in defeat, putting his arm around his vanquisher, South Africa's Chad Le Clos and speaking highly of him in a post-race press conference. One hour later, the loss was forgotten after he and his 4x200 relay teammates won gold, a medal which made Phelps the winningest Olympian in history.
For other athletes, it could have been a nightmare. Phelps barely let it bother him.
He is set to retire after London, meaning this race was the last he'll ever swim against Lochte. And as he has so many times before, Michael Phelps walked off the deck with the upper hand, 20 medals in his possession and another would-be vanquisher left in his wake.
Pagination
