Phelps Keeps Olympic Gold Streak Alive
U.S. Swimmer Wins 6th Straight Gold Medal With World Record In 200-Meter Individual Medley
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Michael Phelps of the United States on his way to winning the gold medal in the men's 200-meter individual medley during the swimming competitions in the National Aquatics Center at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
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United States' Michael Phelps swims in a men's 100-meter butterfly heat during the swimming competitions in the National Aquatics Center at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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Gold medalist Michael Phelps of the United States waves during the awarding ceremony of the men's 200-meter butterfly final during the swimming competitions in the National Aquatics Center at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Aug. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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United States' Michael Phelps reacts after setting a world record as he wins the gold in the men's 200-meter butterfly final during the swimming competitions in the National Aquatics Center at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Aug. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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Phelps dominated right from the start of the 200-meter individual medley and powered away to win in 1 minutes, 54.23 seconds. He knocked off his own mark of 1:54.80 set at last month's U.S. trials, his sixth world record of the games.
Ryan Lochte tried to pull off a daunting double, going against Phelps just 29 minutes after swimming the final of the 200 backstroke. He couldn't keep up, though he did hold on for bronze. Laszlo Cseh of Hungary picked up his third silver of the games - all of them trailing Phelps.
Phelps hung on the lane rope in a familiar pose, admiring his time while his rivals gasped for breath. He extended his right hand to Lochte in the next lane, and the two friends shook hands and patted each other on the head.
Lochte got quite a consolation price: a world record and the first individual gold medal of his career in the backstroke. The laid-back Floridian edged teammate Aaron Peirsol in 1:53.94 to break the mark he shared with Peirsol.
Lochte was known as "Mr. Runner-up" for his frequent second-place finishes to Phelps and Peirsol. Then, he stunned Peirsol at last year's world championships in 1:54.32 and Peirsol matched the time in beating Lochte at the U.S. Olympic trials last month.
Peirsol won the 100 back in Beijing, but failed to match his backstroke double from Athens four years ago. He earned the silver in 1:54.33, while Russia's Arkady Vyatchanin claimed the bronze.
Phelps is just one gold away from tying Spitz's record of seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The 23-year-old from Baltimore was scheduled to return for the semifinals of the 100 butterfly about a half-hour after his win in the 200 IM; assuming he advances, he will try to equal the grandest of Olympic standards on Saturday morning.
If all goes according to plan, the record-breaker would come on Sunday's final day of swimming in the 400 medley relay. The Americans will be heavily favored for gold in that one.
"What Michael Phelps is doing is extraordinary, and we need to keep reminding ourselves of that on a daily basis," New York Times sportswriter and former swimmer Karen Crouse told CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor. "This is not easy. He's making it look easy. He's making it look ridiculously easy. But it's really very, very difficult."
Rebecca Soni gave the U.S. women's swim team a much-needed boost, setting a world record in the 200 breaststroke with an upset of Australia's Leisel Jones.
Soni had already claimed a surprising silver behind Jones in the 100 breast, a race she wasn't even supposed to be in. She took over when Jessica Hardy failed a doping test at the U.S. trials and was dropped from the team.
Jones was out front over the first 100, but Soni came on strong at the end, finishing a full body length ahead of the Aussie in 2:20.22. She beat Jones' mark of 2:20.54, set two 2½ years ago in Melbourne.
Jones claimed silver and Norway's Sara Nordenstam took bronze.
Soni's victory came about 14 hours after American distance hopes Katie Hoff and Kate Ziegler failed to make the final of the 800 freestyle.
Lochte's win was the 20th world record set in swimming during the Olympics, with two days still to go.
Phelps' remarkable success has a lot to do with his anatomy, reports CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen.
"Once every 10 to 15 years one sort of rises up like a phoenix who is born to do what they do," said former swimming champion Diana Nyad. "He's built and born for swimming."
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 29 CommentsPosted by cdfoxtrot2 at 01:11 PM : Aug 15, 2008
In light of this, why don''t they re-instate Jim Thorpes Medals that were stripped from him for playing baseeball on a semipro team for one year. Or have they done this already and I missed it/
That happened before you were born. Ancient history.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/02/olympic-committee-strips_n_116502.html
Posted by BritScot
The distinction has broadly been dropped. I gather that in football, players must be under the age of 24, but their professional status has no bearing on eligibility to play. In other sports, like tennis, there do not appear to be any restrictions at all.
I watch on our channel 6 and, obviously, don''t pay attention to which national feed I am watching.
NBC gets the thumbs down. NBC''s web site is so bad I get all my news from the CBS website which, for me is a lot easier to work with.
Thanks for correcting me.
Phelps for one is barred from participating on his college swim team because he has received money for winning a race. Thus he is a "professional".
Certainly everyone knows that at least one member of the Chinese basketball team plays on a professional U.S. basketball team, and certainly many of those on the U.S. team are professionals.
I have no idea what the rules are but there certainly is no deception in that area.
"The first Olympics to officially accept professional athletes was 1988 in selected sports and 1992 in the remainder."
There is no way anyone should schedule the races so close together. CBS is taking medals away from our swimmers because CBS caused the schedule to be arranged to make money.
It is sad that everyone makes money off the swimmers but they do not get the money.
Also - congratulations goes to the US Women''''s team for winning the Gold Team Medal.
It says a lot about the Olympics when the team that wins the Gold receives the Silver.
It is too bad that those who received the Gold will, forever, know they did not win it.
It would be so nice if someone was held accountable for these deplorable actions.
At CBS someone should be fired. At the Olympic Committee someone should take action to take away the Gold from China and give it to those who actually one it, US.
If they can correct problems because of drugs it should be a lot easier to correct a problem because someone lied about their age.
It is sad that the Olympics has become such a scam and is all about CBS making money.
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Posted by johnax88 at 11:16 AM : Aug 15, 2008
What did CBS have to do with it? I thought NBC was covering it...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=CHINA+CHEATING OLYMPICS
There is no way anyone should schedule the races so close together. CBS is taking medals away from our swimmers because CBS caused the schedule to be arranged to make money.
It is sad that everyone makes money off the swimmers but they do not get the money.
Also - congratulations goes to the US Women''s team for winning the Gold Team Medal.
It says a lot about the Olympics when the team that wins the Gold receives the Silver.
It is too bad that those who received the Gold will, forever, know they did not win it.
It would be so nice if someone was held accountable for these deplorable actions.
At CBS someone should be fired. At the Olympic Committee someone should take action to take away the Gold from China and give it to those who actually one it, US.
If they can correct problems because of drugs it should be a lot easier to correct a problem because someone lied about their age.
It is sad that the Olympics has become such a scam and is all about CBS making money.
ahahaha...nah, c''mon all it takes is a desire to accuse and thats it. Facts are generated from nowhere.
In truth I agree with you, until someone proves something bad has happened, nothing has...he''s not just ''made for swimming'' he also made millions from the last olympics (endorsements) which means, that he''s been able to work as a swimmer full time, swimming 8 hours per day, and the best training in the world. He''s at the top of his game, and it shows.
Btw, none of that was criticism, its all good.
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