Phelps makes history – again! More highlights from the Olympic swimming pool

 

 

RIO DE JANEIRO: -- It was gold medal number 22 for US swimming legend Michael Phelps on Thursday in Rio.

 

Phelps won the Olympic 200 metres individual medley, becoming the first swimmer to win the same event at four consecutive Games.

 

Fellow American Ryan Murphy completed a backstroke double, adding the Olympic men’s 200 metres gold to the 100 metres title he won earlier in the week.

 

The US men have now won the event for six successive Olympics dating back to Atlanta in 1996.

 

Simone Manuel of the United States and Penny Oleksiak of Canada shared gold medal honours by both finishing first in a dead heat in the 100 metres freestyle, setting a new Olympic.record in the process.

 

Japan’s Rie Kaneto won the gold in the women’s 200 metres breaststroke, edging out  controversial Russian Yulia Efimova who won her second silver of the Games.

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-08-12

I watched his victory in the 200 metres individual medley this morning. What an incredible athlete. Yes, he has not been a perfect role model for kids at certain points in his adult life, but for sure he is up there as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, sportsmen of all time.

Why the historical downplay?

Phelps beat a 2,168-year-old Olympic record for individual event successes with a  record of 12 successes set by Leonidas of Rhodes in the original Greek Games in 152 BC. 

No doubt that what Phelps accomplished is truly amazing. Just to compete in 4 Olympics over 16 years is amazing as it is, let alone winning a Gold Medal in all 4 of those Olympics in the 200 Meters Swim.

 

But from this post I want to bring attention to another up and coming Olympic Star. A Canadian by the name of  Penny Oleksiak who just won the Gold Medal in swimming the 100 Meters Woman's Freestyle.

 

What makes Penny so amazing is that when Phelps won his first Gold Medal in the 2000 Olympics, Penny was just being born. She is only 16 years old. She is also the youngest in these 2016 Olympics to win Gold Medal so far. To date in these Olympics she has won 4 Medals including 1 Gold, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze and has a chance to win one more. 

 

Now 4 Medals may not sound like much but in the history of the Olympics no Canadian Athlete has ever won more than 3 Medals. So at age 16 Penny has already set the Canadian Record for the most Olympic Medals at any one Olympics. If she happens to get another Gold Medal in her last race, she will also tie the Canadian Record of 2 Gold Medals at any one Olympics. 

 

I don't know but I do think this is pretty amazing for a 16 year old girl to accomplish. She will only be 20 years old by her second and next Olympics and only 28 years old if she attends all 4 Olympics like Phelps. So even though Phelps accomplishment of a Gold Medal over 4 Olympics looks unbreakable, the Opera ain't over until the Fat Lady Sings.    

Of 205 countries represented in Rio this year, Phelps has more career gold medals than 173 of them...and only ONE behind the host country!!! 

 

USA dominating the games...again. 

The swimming community must be absolutely sick of the sight of him by now.

 

 

Yesterday USA won its Summer Games Gold Medal number 1000 of the Modern Olympiad (1896 - Pres). That's Summer Games only, 1000. Gold Medals.

 

Imagine if we'd been around in Athens 2500 years ago. (Actually we were, it just took us a while to get definitively and separately organised as us.) China existed then but on the wrong side of the planet, which is still true.

 

Michael Phelps certainly didn't accomplish the total of 1000 of Summer Gold feat by himself in Rio, but he sure has run up the count while he's been around. You're much appreciated and respected dude.

 

Russia btw has six gold medals and 23 overall while Australia has six gold medals and 22 overall. (Maybe Russia needs to beef up its borstche  ).

 

I'd guess China would hit 1000 summer ones by 2099 but only if CCP gets kicked out and soon.