Newz Forum: OLYMPICS: Phelps wins 200 individual medley

Michael Phelps of the United States won his fourth gold medal of the Olympics in the 200-meter individual medley Thursday.

He led all the way and finished in an Olympic record time of 1 minute, 57.14 seconds, lowering his own mark of 1:58.52 set in the semifinals one night earlier.

American countryman Ryan Lochte earned silver in 1:58.78. George Bovell of Trinidad and Tobago took bronze in 1:58.80.

Phelps, the world record holder and current world champion, earned his third individual gold medal in Athens. Only Mark Spitz won more than two in a single Olympics.

The 19-year-old was unsuccessful in his bid to break Spitz's record of seven golds in the 1972 Munich Games, but Phelps could still end up with eight medals.

He also has two bronze medals, giving him the largest personal haul so far of any athlete in Athens. His other golds were in the 200 butterfly, 400 individual medley and 4x200 freestyle relay.

Gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin is the only person to win eight medals at a single Olympics, earning three gold, four silver and one bronze in the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games. Eight athletes have won seven, including swimmers Spitz and Matt Biondi in 1988.

I am looking forward to the 100m butterfly, this is going to be good. Phelps won ahead of Crocker in the semi's by .30 of a second, and in the finals it should be very interesting.