United States swimmer Michael Phelps carved his name among Olympic greats on Tuesday, winning a record-equalling ninth gold on a dominant morning for Americans in the pool.
Only US athlete Carl Lewis, US swimmer Mark Spitz, Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi and Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina have won as many golds as Phelps, who could better them all on Wednesday when he swims in two more finals.
Phelps threatens to rewrite many pages of the sporting records in a phenomenal individual display in Beijing.
His third gold in the Chinese capital keeps him on his long march to a target of eight wins. That would better Spitz’s 1972 tally of seven golds in one Olympics.
Spitz set world record times in all of his victories at the Munich Games, a feat which Phelps could also eclipse. Each of Phelps’s Beijing golds has come in a new world best time.
The lanky 23-year-old American was in imperious form in the 200m freestyle final, leading from the start and pulling a body length clear by the halfway stage. He hit the wall in 1:42,96 to destroy his own world record by 0,90 seconds.
”That’s great, I just wanted to be out there at the 50m point and be there at the 100. After that it was just open water,” said Phelps, who was back in the pool winning a 200m butterfly semifinal less than an hour later.
His inspirational swim was the first of three victories for American swimmers in under 20 minutes, hauling the US team up into second place in the overall medals table behind China.
The hosts, second to the Americans in 2004, are keen to end the Games in top spot. Sporting triumph would underline the message of new economic and political might that China wants to convey in its no-expense-spared hosting of the Games.
The Chinese have dominated in the weightlifting, winning four of six events, have done well in diving and picked up golds in shooting and judo.
Defending champions
American world champion Natalie Coughlin forced Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry to settle for a second silver in the women’s 100m backstroke despite breaking the world record in the semifinals.
Coventry, second-placed in the 400m individual medley, had hoped to bring some rare sporting cheer to her troubled country. Coughlin was the first woman to successfully defend the Olympic 100m backstroke title.
American Aaron Peirsol smashed the world record he set just six weeks ago to retain his Olympic 100m backstroke title and maintain his long dominance of the discipline. He starts his defence of his 200m title on Wednesday.
Australian world champion Leisel Jones, two individual silvers and a bronze to her name from 2000 and 2004, finally won an individual Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke.
Criticised for being a sore loser in Athens when she missed out on gold, Jones changed her coach and approach to swimming.
”It has been a long journey, a long eight years,” said Jones, who first appeared at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000, when she won a silver in the 100m breaststroke when only 15 years old.
American swimming success, led by Phelps, has helped draw huge audiences for the Olympics back home, where broadcaster NBC said they had more viewers for any summer Games held outside the United States since 1976.
Gymnastic victory
On the fourth day of competition 19 golds are to be awarded, the most so far.
China picked up its 10th overall Games gold in the men’s artistic gymnastics team competition, reclaiming their traditional pre-eminence in the event after failing to get an Athens medal.
The Chinese team took their inspiration from ”Prince of Gymnastics” Li Ning, who lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony on Friday, circling high above the heads of spectators in a daredevil high-wire act.
Amid jubilant celebrations from the home fans, they dethroned 2004 champions Japan and pushed the Americans into third place.
China also hopes for a clean sweep in the diving competition where they have picked up the first two golds on offer. Chen Ruolin and Wang Xin aim to make it three out of three in the women’s synchronised 10m platform on Tuesday.
Temperatures have fallen in Beijing to a comfortable 22 degrees Celsius from the oppressive mid-30s at the weekend and the air has cleared, making life easier for outdoor athletes like rowers and tennis players. — Reuters