- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
As if we needed any more proof of just how good American Michael Phelps is he powered to a wonderful 200-metre butterfly win.
It was the same event he didn’t quite win in London. It perhaps gave the 31-year-old extra motivation to succeed and ramp home the fact that, even at his age he is a force to be reckoned with.
His 19th gold medal in the 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay was special but individual gold was always going to be the ultimate test of the champion competing at his fifth Olympic Games.
Phelps started reasonably slowly by his standards and was behind László Cseh at the 50-metre mark. He quickly powered to the lead from that point on and had an almost half a second advantage by the half way point.
On the international commentary feed, former Australian swimmer Nicole Livingstone wondered whether he could keep up the pace.
“Now, at his age, and I mean it with respect – at 31 years of age, that is only question mark as to whether or not he’s got the endurance,” she said.
“There’s a 19-year-old beside him with fresh arms and fresh legs, who’s ready and raring to go.”
Livingstone was referring to Hungarian Tamás Kenderesi. All the challengers came in the final 50.
South African Chad Le Clos threatened, as did Japan’s Masato Sakai. But try as they might, Phelps held them all at bay.
He touched the wall in 1:53.36, around two seconds behind his own world record from 2009.
Times didn’t matter though. It was all about that gold and another unbelievable performance when it mattered most by the greatest swimmer we’ve seen.
The celebration by Phelps showed just what it meant to him.
Thank you @MichaelPhelps! ???? pic.twitter.com/SPnJgHkN3p
— USA Swimming (@USASwimming) August 10, 2016
Just a few minutes later he had his 21st gold medal in the 4 x 200 metre relay.
Phelps must be exhausted but he knows he’s only two more events away from finishing his Olympic career (The 100 metre butterfly and 200 metre individual medley).
Whatever position he finishes in those two events he has secured a place in sporting immortality. He now has 12 individual gold medals. Absolutely mind boggling.