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In elite company
Michael Phelps carved his name among the Olympic greats on Tuesday, smashing another world record in the pool to join Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis in an elite group on a record nine career golds.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:59 August 12, 2008
Beijing: Michael Phelps carved his name among the Olympic greats on Tuesday, smashing another world record in the pool to join Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis in an elite group on a record nine career golds.
An imperious victory in the 200 metres freestyle also gave the 23-year-old American his third gold in Beijing as he seeks to overtake Spitz's other record, seven golds at a single Games.
"To be tied for the most Olympic golds of all time, with those names ... is a pretty amazing accomplishment," he said.
Australia's Leisel Jones, the undisputed breaststroke queen of world swimming, finally won the 100m Olympic gold to crown her record-breaking career.
Four years after her Athens heartache, Jones capped four years of international domination with an emotional victory.
But the attention was focused on Phelps for another powerful performance as he led an American fightback against Chinese dominance of the medal table on day four as the US team won three out of four golds on offer in the pool.
They picked up another when a Texan hunter, Walton Eller, beat an Italian policeman in the men's double trap shooting.
Record eclipsed
Eller finished with 190 points to surpass the previous record of 189 held jointly by the UAE's Shaikh Ahmad Mohammad Hasher Al Maktoum, who lost out in a four-way shoot-off yesterday.
UAE swimmer Obaid Al Jasmsi finished last in his 100m freestyle heat but set a new record for the UAE while clocking a personal best time of 53.29 seconds, to better his old mark of 54.82.
By the close of day four, China led the Americans as Togo won their first Olympic medal, a bronze in kayaking for Benjamin Boukpeti, and North Korea won a rare gold in the women's weight-lifting competition when Pak Hyon Suk took gold in the 63kg Snatch Clean & Jerk.
China struck back with gold in the men's team gymnastics, an elegant victory in the women's 10m synchronised platform diving, a men's fencing gold and another weightlifting title.
The gymnastics victory was among the sweetest.
Gold medallists in Sydney, the Chinese failed to win a medal in Athens. This time they stormed to victory in front of an ecstatic crowd, led by double world all-round champion Yang Wei.
Germany got off the mark in style yesterday with four golds.
Two came in eventing, with individual and team golds, one in men's kayaking and another in judo.
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