VARIOUS/FILE: LONDON OLYMPICS/SWIMMING - Michael Phelps is aiming to increase his impressive Olympic medal tally in London

Record ID: 859360

  • Title: VARIOUS/FILE: LONDON OLYMPICS/SWIMMING - Michael Phelps is aiming to increase his impressive Olympic medal tally in London
  • Date: 3rd July 2012
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (APRIL 10, 2007) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) PHELPS SWIMMING WITH KIDS ON GOODWILL VISIT
  • Embargoed: 18th July 2012 13:00
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  • Location: Greece, Usa, China
  • City:
  • Country: Greece Usa China
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAY874XRQ3OST8KSPGFGKB8JO
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  • Story Text: The clock is starting to tick faster for Michael Phelps. The London Olympics are drawing closer and the American swimmer knows that time is running out on his golden career.
    Phelps has dropped the 200 metres freestyle from his schedule, leaving him with seven events for his Games swansong.
    The American qualified for eight events at the U.S. Trials, the same number he swam at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008, but ditched the freestyle to focus on the relays.
    In Athens, aged 19, Phelps won six golds and two bronze medals. His chances of equalling Mark Spitz's record of seven golds in one Games ultimately failed when he opted to drop the 200 metres backstroke to challenge Australian Ian Thorpe in the 200 metres freestyle. In what was not his strongest event, Phelps finished third behind the Australian and Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband.
    Quite simply, Phelps owned Beijing's water cube in 2008, his size 14 feet and huge arm span powering him to eclipse Spitz by winning eight gold medals in eight events while setting seven world records. Phelps swam all four strokes to Spitz's two and if he had been a country he would have finished among the top 10 in the gold medals table.
    He won gold in the 200 and 400 metres individual medley events, the 100 and 200 butterfly, the 200 metres freestyle and in three relays.
    That feat gave him the record for the most gold medals at a single Olympics, and few would bet against him raising his overall haul of 16 Olympic medals in London which he says will be his last Games.
    Even a relatively modest haul of two medals of any colour would tie him with the 18 Olympic medals of former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina.
    Phelps has struggled for motivation after his amazing performance in Beijing and only got back into serious training 18 months ago.
    He faces stiff competition in London from fellow-American Ryan Lochte, the outstanding swimmer at last year's world championships in Shanghai where he won five gold medals.
    Lochte beat Phelps in the 400 metres individual medley at the US trials last month but the result was reversed in the 200.
    Lochte, 27, has qualified in five events and could add another in the relays. His rivalry with Phelps promises to be one of the highlights of the Olympics.
    By dropping the 200m free, where he beat Lochte in the trials, Phelps will now swim the 100 and 200 butterfly, the 200 and 400 individual medleys and three relays, and has good chances in all of them to add to his Olympic stockpile.
    Having said he will retire from swimming before his 30th birthday, London will be the last Olympics for Michael Phelps. He will be 31 in 2016. By then he could have established an Olympic medal count that will never be bettered.
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