Phelps Wins Two More Golds to Break Olympic Record

Niner · 12:38 AM

Phelps Wins Two More Golds to Break Olympic Record (Update1)

By Larry Siddons and Erik Matuszewski

Aug. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Michael Phelps of the U.S. broke the career gold-medal record at the Olympics today, pushing his total to 11 with wins in the 200-meter butterfly and the 800- meter freestyle relay.

The 23-year-old Phelps moved within three victories of breaking Mark Spitz's single-Games record of seven golds, set in the Munich pool in 1972. He'll swim three more events in Beijing.

Phelps won the butterfly in a world record time of 1 minute, 52.03 seconds after his goggles filled with water at the start. That victory pulled him ahead of the nine golds of Spitz, Carl Lewis, Paavo Nurmi and Larissa Latynina on the career list.

``When I was on the awards stand I started thinking about it and that's when I started tearing up,'' Phelps told reporters. ``To know that I did it, at the top, with so many great athletes, to be at these Olympic Games, it's pretty amazing.''

Less than an hour after winning the butterfly, Phelps swam the lead-off leg as the U.S. won the 800 freestyle relay and sliced more than four seconds off the world record.

China today won its Games-best 14th gold medal by beating out the U.S. in the women's artistic gymnastics team competition. The Americans are second with nine gold medals and lead the total medals standings with 26, four more than the host nation.

Twelve other gold medals will be awarded today in cycling, diving, shooting, weightlifting, wrestling, judo and fencing.

World Records Fall

Another six swimming world records fell this morning to lift the tally at Beijing's Water Cube to 16. That's two more than the total from the Sydney 2000 Games and twice as many as in Athens four years ago.

Italy's Federica Pellegrini won the women's 200 freestyle with a world-best time of 1:54.82, edging Slovenia's Sara Isakovic by 0.15 second. China's Pang Jiaying took the bronze. The 20-year-old Pellegrini added to a silver in Athens, when she became the youngest Italian to win an Olympic medal.

``What came into my mind was `finally, finally,'' Pellegrini said after securing Italy's fourth gold in Beijing. ``I have been expecting to win for the last four years.''

Stephanie Rice of Australia added the 200 medley to her 400 medley title, edging Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe by 0.14 second in a world record 2:08.45. American Natalie Coughlin took bronze.

``It was such a tough race,'' Rice said. ``I really wanted to get the best out of myself.''

Records Fall

Alain Bernard of France swam a record time of 47.20 seconds in a semifinal for the 100 freestyle, a mark that stood for just minutes before Eamon Sullivan of Australia bettered it the next heat in 47.05 seconds.

``It's a high-level competition, so it's normal,'' Bernard said. ``The most important is the final tomorrow.''

Sullivan had broken Bernard's record in the lead-off leg of the 400 freestyle relay final two days ago.

This is the first Olympics to feature Speedo's LZR Racer swimsuit, which was developed with help from American space scientists and athletes like Phelps.

The tight-fitting suit, in both trunks and full-body versions, cuts drag and has been used in most of the world records set since its introduction in February. Nike Inc. last month released its swimmers from having to use the company's suits in Beijing and said they can use the LZR Racer to be competitive.

Pellegrini, who also broke the 200 freestyle two days ago, is the only swimmer not wearing the suit to set a world record in Beijing.

`Couldn't See Anything'

Phelps, with water in his goggles, trailed Moss Burmester of New Zealand by .03 seconds at the 50-meter split in his butterfly race, then took the lead and was under world-record pace the rest of the way.

After the finish, he ripped off his cap and goggles and threw them onto the pool deck.

``I couldn't see anything for the last 100, my goggles pretty much filled up with water, it just kept getting worse and worse through the race,'' Phelps said. ``I was having trouble seeing the walls to be honest.''

Laszlo Cseh of Hungary finished second, 0.67 behind and Takeshi Matsuda of Japan took the bronze.

Phelps's history-making win was watched by several members of the U.S. men's basketball team, including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, who posed for photos with the swimmer's mother before the finals.

In the 800 relay, Phelps gave the U.S. the early lead before the Americans won by 5.14 seconds over Russia. Australia took the bronze. Phelps's titles today added to his victories in the 400 individual medley, 400 freestyle relay and 200 freestyle in Beijing. He won six gold medals in Athens four years ago.

Source:Bloomberg.com: North American

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