Swimmer Phelps is golden boy again

BEIJING | Michael Phelps made the final 100 meters of his Olympics count.

Swimming the third leg for the United States in the 4x100 medley relay Sunday morning at the Water Cube, Phelps propelled his team from third to first, and when Jason Lezak held on to the advantage, Phelps completed a weeklong tour de force that is the best in Olympic history.

Eight races.

Eight gold medals.

Seven world records.

The final record came in the relay, a race the Americans have never lost in the Olympics.

As Lezak made the turn, the crowd of more than 17,000 rose to their feet as if to finally acknowledge what was going to be accomplished. When it was over, Phelps hugged teammate Aaron Peirsol and raised both arms to the air, drawing a roar from the crowd.

The winning time of 3:29.34 was .70 seconds ahead of Australia.

Phelps tied Spitz’s record with a thrilling win in the 100-meter butterfly - by .01 second - Saturday morning Beijing time. The sport’s governing body reviewed the video and concluded that Phelps touched the wall first and said there was no way he would have lost the gold - they would have ruled the race a dead heat.

“I’m at more of a loss for words than I was yesterday,” Phelps said. “The help from these guys made it all possible. It just shows how much teamwork and how much togetherness we have. It’s amazing to be a part of.”

On an overcast morning in north central Beijing, the Olympic Green was sparsely populated aside from those entering the arena. Gymnastics didn’t start up for another eight hours, and the 90,000 track spectators wouldn’t start forming until midafternoon. On television screens throughout the grounds was live coverage of the women’s marathon.

The covers of the English-language China Daily continued to ignore Phelps on its two cover pages - the first was reserved for 100-meter champion Usain Bolt, the other pictures of eight prospective gold medal winners Sunday.

None was of Phelps.

Maybe this will get the newspaper’s attention: Phelps’ haul in the last two Olympics is 16 medals (most all time for a male athlete) - 14 golds and two bronze.

“One word: Epic,” Spitz told the Associated Press after Phelps’ seventh win. “I’m so proud of what he’s been able to do. I did what I did, and it was in my day in those set of circumstances. For 36 years, it stood as a benchmark. I’m just pleased that somebody was inspired by what I had done.

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