By John Lohn
BEIJING, China, August 12. SUPERMAN did it again.
Winning his third gold medal of the Games, and in his third world-record time, Michael Phelps blasted the competition in the 200 freestyle. Taking charge from the start, Phelps built a sizable lead on the first lap and continued to open up on his way to a clocking of 1:42.96, well under his previous world mark of 1:43.86. What must Ian Thorpe be thinking?
Phelps, who added to gold medals in the 400 individual medley and 400 freestyle relay, split 24.31 at the 50, was timed in 50.29 at the 100 and turned for home in 1:16.84. The gold was the ninth of Phelps' career, tying him for the most in Olympic history. It was also his 11th overall medal and second straight in the 200 free, complementing his bronze from Athens.
The champion in the 400 freestyle, Korea's Tae Hwan Park grabbed the silver medal by breaking the 1:45 barrier in 1:44.85, good for an Asian record. Park used a final-lap split of 26.17 to edge Peter Vanderkaay, who took the bronze medal in 1:45.14. That effort bettered Vanderkaay's previous best of 1:45.45.
South African Jean Basson finished fourth with a mark of 1:45.97 and was followed in the fifth spot by Germany's Paul Biedermann in 1:46.00. Switzerland's Dominik Meichtry followed in 1:46.95 and the field was rounded out by Japan's Yoshihiro Okumura (1:47.14) and Great Britain's Robbie Renwick (1:47.47).
Results: 2008 Olympic Games - Swimming
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Reaction Time Comments
August 11, 2008 SICK! UNBELIEVABLE!!!! This is the GREATEST OF HIS WORLD RECORDS!!!!! Submitted by: paddles
August 11, 2008 Again, THIS IS THE GREATEST WORLD RECORD EVER! Submitted by: Paddles
August 11, 2008 Four years ago, Ian Crocker split 50.1 leading off the (admittedly disappointing) 400 free relay. Tonight, Phelps GOES OUT in 50.2 in the 200 free...that's absolutely unreal.
Someday, we're going to tell our grandchildren about watching Phelps' performance this week... Submitted by: kcswimjk
August 11, 2008 He beat Park by almost 2 seconds in an Olympic final. He would have destroyed him in the 400 had he swum that instead of the 400 IM. Can you say 3:38? Who are the 4 going in the heats of the 800 free relay tomorrow? Lochte being held back for the finals? Submitted by: crafto
August 11, 2008 Yeah seriously this is a one in a lifetime performance going on right now. Phelps is obliterating his WRs. I'm calling a 1:53 plus in the 200 IM and I believe he will go sub 50 secs in the 100 fly. Along with tomorrow night his 1:50.8 200 fly. His fly is on target at these games. Its going to be amazing Submitted by: WUswimmer
August 11, 2008 Park's performance is naturally overwhelmed by what Phelps did in this race, but what a swimmer Park is as well. A 1:44 from a guy who is in the mix for the gold in the 1500...amazing versatility over distances. Submitted by: jim
August 12, 2008 I agree Jim! And remember, Park is only 18 years old.... What a future he has if he keeps his head on straight! Submitted by: Hodori88
August 12, 2008 Before this meet I didn't think Phelps could shock me anymore but he's done so twice now already this week. I hope he leaves enough in the tank to win all eight cause he looks right on schedule. It's hard to explain to my non-swimming friends that as good as they think he is, they really have no idea how freakishly fast he really is....Tiger Woods is the only athlete in history that can compare now, I think.... Submitted by: liquidassets
August 12, 2008 WHOA! ARE YOU MENTAL??? tiger woods an athlete? i didnt get that memo...last time i checked golf was not a sport but a sporting competition like darts or snooker...hope you grasp the diff...what an incredible insult for a swimmer to be compared to someone who simply excels at a geriatric past-time activity..geez.... Submitted by: mitchellrugby
August 12, 2008 Mitchell: I don't even play golf but it is a sport not a sporting competition. Golfers have to deal with more injuries on average than swimmers, and it requires strength and hand eye coordination. Last I checked Nike is a big sponsor in it but not in darts and snooker. Submitted by: crafto
August 12, 2008 i dont see how injuries figure in all this...i am sure astronauts and firefighters, for instance, sustain plenty of injuries training for their duties but that hardly makes them athletes, i am sure you'll agree....even less apparent is the link between nike and an activity that it spornsors being a sport...nike is pushing golf because it's a popular past-time activity, as simple as that.. Submitted by: mitchellrugby
August 12, 2008 Well your argument is silly and ridiculous at best. Golf is a sport. As simple as that. Most would agree with me. Sorry but you are indeed wrong. Submitted by: crafto
August 12, 2008 P.S. Mitchell. Astonauts and Firefighters are not doing anything to compete against one another. Golfers are. Nike also does not sponsor Firefighters with the Just Do It slogan attached to them. Golf = Hand eye coordination. Prize money. Injuries due to the physical exertion it puts on the body. Sponsorship money. Competition. Strength. Mental acuity. Hence sport. Submitted by: crafto
August 12, 2008 I agree with Crafto Mitchel. You are way off base here. Wikipedia defines sport: Sport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determiner of the outcome (winning or losing), but the term is also used to include activities such as mind sports (a common name for some card games and board games with little to no element of chance) and motor sports where mental acuity or equipment quality are major factors.
That is golf. Firefighters and Astronauts as an analogy? Pleeease. Submitted by: SwimBob
August 12, 2008 Well its a different physical endeavor and much more mental than swimming but yeah, its still a sport, obviously. It's easy to play but extremely hard to play elitely. But I think Phelps trumps Woods because as good as Tiger is, he gets beat more often than Phelps. Submitted by: liquidassets
August 12, 2008 I agree liquidassets: in terms of pure domination of a sport, you got to put Phelps as the more dominant athlete than Tiger. Roger Federer maybe 3rd, but he has been slumping lately. Submitted by: SwimBob
August 12, 2008 It is not necessarily easy for everyone to play. But it is an easy sport. Submitted by: Park528
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