Two more golds for Phelps sees him become the greatest ever Olympian
Michael Phelps etched his name into Olympic history in Beijing yesterday by taking his career tally of gold medals to a record 11.
The American became the most successful swimmer, and indeed Olympian, of all time with a double success yesterday in the Water Cube.
Phelps, 23, won his fourth gold medal of the Games with victory in the 200m butterfly, and then followed that up with a fifth as part of the USA’s 4x200m freestyle relay team.
It took his overall Olympic medal tally to 11 golds, surpassing the nine golds won by Paavo Nurmi, Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz and Larysa Latynina.
Phelps is also still on course to break the record for the number of gold medals in one Olympic Games, with Spitz’s haul of seven swimming golds, set in 1972, now only two away.
Victory in the individual medley, the 100m butterfly and then the 4x100m medley relay later in the week will see Phelps cement his place in history for a second time.
“There is still something left in the tank,” the American said. “I’ve got three races left, so there had better be something left in the tank.”
But he added: “It’s not over yet. I am not unbeatable and anything can happen in the next three events.”
Phelps also took his tally of new world records to five in Beijing after shaving 0.06 seconds off his previous best in the 200m butterfly, before leading the relay team home in a best ever 6:58.56.