Michael Phelps, the world’s best swimmer, has staked his claim to being the most athletes in any sport as he won his 19th Olympic medal, more than anybody else in history.
The American became the most winning Olympian ever as he took a silver medal in the individual 200m butterfly, then gold with the US team in the 4x200m freestyle relay. Phelps swam the anchor leg of the relay, inheriting a strong lead from his team-mates, and never looking like finishing anything other than first.
After he protected the gold, his 15th, the British team finished sixth.
The 27 year-old entered the Aquatic Centre at the Olympic Park last night previously the proud possessor of 17 Olympic medals, the most recent a silver won on Saturday.
Even though he has won almost every generous accolade conceivable, he appeared somewhat awed by the magnitude of the record on offer.
He had won the Olympic 200m butterfly two times before and a third successive gold would have been yet another record. In the event, he led the race from the start and only missed gold in the last stroke of the race, as South Africa’s Chad le Clos prolonged past him to win by five hundredths of a second.
