A gold as sweet as it gets for medal king Michael Phelps
Mblocks ichael Phelps was tired. He sat down hard on the at the Olympic Aquatics Center, relieved but exhausted. It had been a spectacular hour. Phelps powered to victory in his signature event, the 200-meter butterfly, then came back an hour later to anchor the strong US men’s 4x200 freestyle relay, winning his second and third gold medals, respectively, of the Rio Olympic Games and the 20th and 21st of his career.
While his younger teammates celebrated their nearly three-second victory around him, Phelps sat down, a satisfied, if a bit winded, 31-year-old Olympic legend.
Earlier Tuesday night, there was more finger-wagging at the Olympic pool. This time it had nothing to do with doping, but rather the rope-a-dope.
A day after Phelps’ chief rival in the 200 butterfly shadow-boxed in front of him in the ready room during the semifinals, leading to the now-infamous Phelps death stare, Phelps became the oldest individual swimming gold medalist in Olympic history.
How many more records and firsts can this man bring us?
Phelps, competing in his fifth and final Olympics, he says, won the 200 butterfly in a time of 1 minute 53.36 seconds, while Chad le Clos, the man who beat him in this event in 2012 in London, faded badly in the final 50 meters and ended up fourth.
Nonetheless, it was time for Phelps to enjoy the victory at le Clos’s expense, and enjoy he did. He pointed to the ceiling, wagged his index finger, pumped his fists and even gestured to the crowd to “bring the noise.”
Victory couldn’t have been sweeter. It was four years ago in London when le Clos, who grew up idolizing Phelps, gave him his first loss at a major international meet in a decade in the 200 butterfly by just out-touching him at the wall.
Afterward, Phelps kindly offered tips to le Clos, who was then 20, and the two even discussed getting together to go shark diving.
But that never happened. A year ago, the friendship turned into an intense rivalry when le Clos, competing at the world championships in Russia, took offense to Phelps’ comments that the world’s top times in the butterfly events weren’t very impressive.
Phelps missed those worlds because he was serving a six-month suspension for a second DUI.
In his absence, le Clos had a strong meet, saying after the 100 butterfly, “I just did a time that he hasn’t done in four years. So he can keep quiet now.”
Include the scene in the ready room, and you’re all caught up.
The 200 fly is the race that Phelps wanted to win the most here. It’s the only one he has swam in all five of his Olympics, starting in 2000 in Sydney, when, as a 15-year-old, he finished fifth.
He won the gold in 2004 and 2008 (when his goggles filled and he could not see), then finished second in 2012.
And now, one final victory in 2016 in the event he cares about the most.
(USA Today/TNS)
Ledecky snags 2nd gold
It’s time to pencil Katie Ledecky’s name into the record book.
The 19-year-old superstar freestyle swimmer turned in perhaps her most impressive race of these Olympics, taking gold in her weakest individual event of the week, the women’s 200meter freestyle.
Ledecky won in 1:53.73, a bruising time in a bruising race. She edged out Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, who finished in 1:54.08. Australia’s Emma McKeon took the bronze. What was perhaps most impressive was the final 25 meters or so, as Ledecky dug deep to fend off Sjostrom’s final push.
“I did come pretty close to throwing up during that last 50,” said Ledecky. “I knew I just needed to get my hand on the wall and be done.
“I wasn’t surprised, but kind of relieved.”
So far these Games, Ledecky is 2-for2 in individual events. With just the 800 free remaining, Ledecky will likely become just the second female Olympian in history to win three individual freestyle gold medals in the same Games. Only Debbie Meyer (1968) has accomplished the feat.
Ledecky is the third woman and sixth swimmer to win gold in both the 200 and 400 freestyle at the same Olympics. The other two women were Meyer and Australia’s Shane Gould in 1972.
Serena shocked in third round
Olympic champion and world No. 1 Serena Williams was bundled out of the tennis tournament in the third round of the singles with a stunning 6-4, 6-3 defeat to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.
The defeat by the 20th-ranked Svitolina ends Williams’ Olympic tournament, having also suffered a surprise loss in the doubles with older sister Venus on Sunday.
The 34-year-old Williams, who is not entered in the mixed doubles, cut short her media commitments after the loss, speaking only to the official broadcasters.
Williams’ defeat came hours after third seed and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was upset by Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig.
Germany’s world No. 2 Angelique Kerber, who beat Williams in the final of the Australian Open in January, but lost the Wimbledon final to the American, is now the favorite for gold.
Williams had won three doubles Olympic titles with Venus. Their firstround loss to Czech duo Barbora Strycova and Lucie Safarova was their first Olympic loss in the doubles.
They won the title in Sydney, did not pair up for Athens due to an injury to Serena, but reclaimed the title in Beijing then defended it in London.
They have also won 14 women’s doubles Grand Slam titles. (Reuters)