Phelps Wins Two More Gold Medals To Become Winningest Olympic Athlete Ever

A daily double. Michael Phelps swam into history as the winningest Olympic athlete ever with his 10th and 11th career gold medals – and five world records in five events at the Beijing Games.

A day after etching his name alongside Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis with gold No. 9, Phelps set a standard all his own when he won the 200-meter butterfly Wednesday morning. An hour later, he swam the leadoff of a runaway victory by the U.S. 800 freestyle relay team, which shattered the old world mark by more than four seconds.

“He is just another person, but maybe from a different planet,” said Alexander Sukhorukov, who swam the anchor leg for the second-place Russians.

In his signature stroke, Phelps had a problem with his goggles. But that didn’t keep him from touching first in the fly.

No such worries in the relay. Seemingly impervious to fatigue, the gangly, 23-year-old American set a blistering pace of 1 minute, 43.31 seconds that got the Americans rolling toward a winning time of 6:58.56 – the first team ever to break the 7-minute barrier.

“Come on! Come on!” he screamed at teammates Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay.

The previous record of 7:03.24 was set by the Americans at last year’s world championships. Russia took the silver, more than five seconds behind the Americans, who mainly had to make sure they didn’t jump in the water too soon. Australia won the bronze.

“Safe start! Safe start!” Phelps yelled at Berens before he dove in.

After a six-gold performance at the 2004 Athens Games, Phelps needed only five days in Beijing to surpass Spitz, Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi as the winningest Olympian ever.

Phelps is now all alone at the top of the career golds list, with three more chances to stretch his lead before he leaves China. He’ll swim in the 200 individual medley, 100 fly and 400 medley relay.

“There is still something left in the tank,” Phelps said. “I’ve got three races left, so there had better be something left in the tank.”

In the fly, Phelps was second at the first flip, then pushed it into another gear, his long arms gobbling up huge chunks of water as he literally sailed along atop the surface. He finished in 1:52.03, breaking his mark of 1:52.09 from the 2007 worlds.

Phelps barely smiled as he looked at the board, breathing heavily and hanging on the lane rope. Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh really pushed it at the end, but settled for silver in 1:52.70. Japan’s Takeshi Matsuda took the bronze in 1:52.97.

Phelps rubbed his eyes and said climbing from the pool, “I can’t see anything.” A pair of leaky goggles kept him from even seeing the wall as he touched.

“My goggles kept filling up with water during the race,” Phelps said. “I wanted a world record, I wanted 1:51 or better, but in the circumstances not too bad I guess.”

Still, he had two more golds and two more records before lunchtime, leaving him just three wins away from beating Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in a single games.

He’s also keeping pace with Spitz on the record front. Spitz set world standards in all of his wins at Munich; Phelps is now 5-for-5 in China.

“I’m pumped about our relay,” Phelps said. “It’s the most fun thing to be in a team environment and be part of a relay. It’s cool when you get four Americans who all swim well together. Everyone has to play their part or it’s just not going to happen. We’ve been lucky that we’ve been able to do that.”

The Americans are sure lucky to have Phelps, who is already recognized as the greatest swimmer ever – sorry, Mark – and plans to keep competing at least through the 2012 London Games.

After another trip to the medals podium, he flipped his flowers to mother Debbie, tears pouring down her face as she proudly watched from a front-row seat with her two daughters.

Everyone wanted to get a look at history, including the U.S. men’s basketball team. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony were among those cheering on Phelps from poolside seats. James posed for pictures with Phelps’ mom, Debbie.

Three worlds records fell before Phelps even walked on deck the first time.

In the semifinals of the 100 free, Australia’s Eamon Sullivan and France’s Alain Bernard played takeaway with the record Sullivan set two days earlier.

In the first heat, Bernard won in 47.20 to knock down Sullivan’s mark of 47.24 from the leadoff leg of the memorable 400 free relay. That record lasted all of two minutes. Sullivan won the second heat in 47.05, setting up a thrilling showdown in Thursday’s final.

“Records don’t mean much,” Sullivan said. “They don’t win medals at the end of the day, unfortunately. But it gives me confidence that I can swim my own race under pressure.”

American Jason Lezak, who chased down Bernard in the relay, advanced to the final with the sixth-best time, 47.98. The other U.S. swimmer, Garrett Weber-Gale, failed to advance.

Then it was Federica Pellegrini’s turn in the women’s 200 free. The Italian broke the mark she set a day earlier in the semifinals, winning gold in 1:54.82. The old record was 1:55.45.

Sara Isakovic of Slovenia claimed the bronze in 1:54.97, and China’s Pang Jiaying thrilled the home fans by passing Katie Hoff on the final lap to take bronze in 1:55.05.

Hoff’s disappointing day wasn’t done.

In the 200 individual medley, she again finished in the first spot that doesn’t give a medal. Australia’s Stephanie Rice completed her IM sweep with another world record, her time of 2:08.45 erasing the mark of 2:08.92 set at the Australian trials in March.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe took the silver in 2:08.59, also below the previous world record. Natalie Coughlin of the U.S. won the bronze in 2:10.34, her third medal of the games, beating Hoff by 34-hundredths of a second.

“It’s a big surprise for me,” said Coughlin, who only began swimming the IM a few months ago. “Any medal in an event that is not on your (regular) program is great.”

The glamorous Rice, wearing big green earrings that matched her country’s colors, added to her victory in the 400 IM.

Then there’s Hoff, who looked to be one of the big stories of the game when she qualified in five individual events – the same number as Phelps.

The 19-year-old, who says Phelps is like a big brother, has yet to match his success in the water. In her first two races, Hoff settled for a bronze and a silver, which look pretty good after Wednesday. Now, she’s got only one more event – the 800 free – to win an individual gold.

“I went out there and I raced tough and that’s all I can do,” Hoff said. “It was definitely a tough day, but I think I handled it pretty well.”

An inspiring Olympic story came to an end in the semifinals of the 200 breaststroke.

Eric Shanteau, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer just before the U.S. Olympic trials and put off surgery until after the games, failed to advance to the final.

He finished sixth in his semifinal heat and 10th overall, 13-hundredths of a second out of the last spot into the final.

Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima, trying for his second straight sweep of the breaststroke events, cruised along as the top qualifier at 2:08.61. He already won the 100 with a world record after taking both golds in Athens four years ago.

US swimmer Michael Phelps competes during the men’s 200m butterfly swimming final at the National Aquatics Center during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 13, 2008. (FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT/AFP/Getty Images)

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Most Olympic Gold Medals
11 — Michael Phelps, US, swimming (2004-6; 2008-5)
9 — Paavo Nurmi, Finland, track and field (1920-3; 1924-4; 1928-2
9 — Larysa Latynina, Soviet Union, gymnastics (1956-4; 1960-3; 1964-2)
9 — Mark Spitz, US, swimming (1968-2; 1972-7)
9 — Carl Lewis, US, track and field (1984-4; 1988-2; 1992-2; 1996-1)

What Canada Did Wednesday at the Olympics

(distances in metres unless specified):

ARCHERY

Jason Lyon, Winnipeg, advanced to the round of 16 after defeating Xue Hai Feng of China (111-106) and Brady Ellison, U.S. (113-107). The other two  Canadians were eliminated after first-round losses: Crispin Duenas, Toronto,  was defeated in the second round of a shootout (9-9, 10-9) by Magnus Petersson, Sweden, after both scored 108 in regulation. John David Burnes, also Toronto, fell to Ellison of the U.S. (111-89).

BASEBALL

Scott Thorman of Cambridge, Ont., hit a three-run home run and Mike Saunders, Victoria, added a solo homer as Canada opened its preliminary round with a 10-0 rout of host China.

CANOE/KAYAK

Women’s singles kayak — Sarah Boudens, Pembroke, Ont., failed to advance after placing 19th in qualifying with a two-run time of four minutes 28.67 seconds.

CYCLING

Men’s individual time trial — Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., placed seventh in the 47.3-kilometre event in one hour four minutes 39.44 seconds; Ryder Hesjedal, Victoria, was 16th (1:05:42.33).

Women’s individual time trial — Alexandra Wrubleski, Regina, finished 24th after completing the 23.5-kilometre course in 39:15.42.

DIVING

Men’s synchronized three-metre springboard — Alexandre Despatie, Laval, Que., and Arturo Miranda, Edmonton, placed fifth in the competition with a score of 409.29.

EQUESTRIAN

Dressage (individual) — Leslie Reid of Langley, B.C., scored 59.750 points to rank 22nd after the first day of the Grand Prix event.

Dressage (team) — Canada is not currently ranked after the first day as only Reid registered a result. The other members of the team are Jacquie Brooks from Mt. Albert, Ont., and Ashley Holzer, Toronto.

FENCING

Men’s individual foil — Joshua McGuire, Hamilton, went to overtime in his opening match to defeat Tomer Or, Israel (11-10), then was eliminated with a loss in the round of 16 to Salvatore Sanzo of Italy (15-3).

Women’s individual epee — Sherraine Schalm of Brooks, Alta. — ranked fifth in the world — had a first-round bye but was knocked out of the competition following a round-of-16 loss to Ildiko Mincza-Nebald of Hungary (15-13).

FIELD HOCKEY

Bindi Kullar of North Delta, B.C., had the lone goal as Canada (0-2) lost 3-1 to Pakistan.

ROWING

Men’s pairs — David Calder, Victoria, and Scott Frandsen, Kelowna, B.C., clinched a berth in the final after winning their repechage heat (6:34.02).

Women’s eights — Canada (Heather Mandoli, Kelowna, B.C.; Andreanne Morin, Montreal; Sarah Bonikowsky, Orangeville, Ont.; Ashley Brzozowicz, Toronto; Romina Stefancic, Victoria; Buffy Williams, St. Catharines, Ont.; Darcy Marquardt, Richmond, B.C.,; Jane Rumball, Fredericton; Lesley Thompson-Willie (cox), London) earned a berth in the final by winning their repechage race (6:10.50).

SAILING

Men’s Finn (heavyweight dinghy) — Christopher Cook, Toronto, ranks seventh with 48 points after seven of ten races.

Men’s 49er-Skiff — Gordon Cook, Toronto, and Ben Remocker, Vancouver, are ranked 13th (87 points) through nine races.

Men’s 470 (two-person dinghy — Stephane Locas, St-Eustace, Que., and Oliver Bone, Montreal, are 28th (115) rhrough six races.

Men’s Laser (one person dinghy) — Mike Leigh, Vancouver, is 19th (62) after three races.

Women’s Yngling-Keelboat — Canada (Jennifer Provan and Martha Henderson, both Toronto; Kathryn Abbott, Sarnia, Ont.) is ranked 12th (51) through seven races.

Women’s Laser Radial (one-person dinghy) — Lisa Ross of Lunenburg, N.S., currently stands 13th (52) following the third race.

SOFTBALL

Melanie Matthews, Surrey, B.C., and Jennifer Yee of North Delta, B.C., each drove in three runs as Canada improved to 2-0 with a 9-2 win over the Netherlands.

SHOOTING

Women’s 25-metre sport pistol — Avianna Chao, Toronto, scored 558.0 points to finish 41st in qualifying and did not advance.

SWIMMING

Men’s 100 freestyle — Brent Hayden, Mission, B.C., finished sixth in his semifinal (48.20) and did not advance.

Men’s 200 backstroke — Keith Beavers, Orangeville, Ont. (1:58.84), and Tobias Oriwol, Montreal (1:58.94) both earned semifinal berths after finishing 15th and 16th repectively in qualifying.

Men’s 200 breaststroke — Mike Brown of Perth, Ont. advanced to the medal race after winning his semifinal (2:08.84).

Men’s 200 individual medley — Keith Beavers, Orangeville, Ont., tied for eighth in qualifying (1:59.19) and will race in the semifinals; Brian Johns, Richmond, B.C., was 18th (2:00.66), did not advance.

Men’s 4×200 freestyle relay — Canada (Colin Russell, Oshawa, Ont.; Brian Johns, Victoria; Brent Hayden, Mission, B.C.; and Andrew Hurd, Cambridge, Ont.), set a Canadian record but finished fifth in the final (7:05.77).

Women’s 100 freestyle — Erica Morningstar, Calgary, earned a berth in the semifinals after placing 15th in the preliminaries (54.66); Julia Wilkinson of Stratford, Ont., tied for 16th (54.70), but did not advance after pulling out of a swim-off against Petra Dallmann of Germany for the final berth.

Women’s 200 breaststroke — Annamay Pierse, Edmonton, had the seventh-best time in qualifying (2:25.01) and advanced to the semifinals.

Women’s 200 butterfly — Audrey Lacroix, Pont-Rouge, Que., placed sixth in her semifinal (2:09.74) and did not advance.

Women’s 200 individual medley — Julia Wilkinson of Stratford, Ont., placed seventh in the final (2:12.43).

Women’s 4×200 freestyle relay — Canada (Stephanie Horner, Beaconsfield, Que.; Genevieve Saumur, Montreal; Erica Morningstar, Calgary; and Julia Wilkinson, Stratford, Ont.) placed 10th in qualifying (7:56.26) and will not race in the final.

TABLE TENNIS

Men’s team — Canada lost their match to Singapore (3-1, 3-2 and 3-1). In singles play: Peng Zhang of Ottawa was defeated by Ninq Goa, 3-1 (13-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9); and Pradeeban Peter-Paul, Ottawa, lost 3-2 (8-11, 11-4, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7) to Zi Yang. In doubles, Peter-Paul and Qiang Shen, also Ottawa, lost to Xiao Li Cai and Zi Yang, 3-1 (9-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-5).

See the up-to-the-minute medal count