Phelps Breaks Ties for Most Overall & Gold Individual Medals

2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Swimming: August 6-13
• Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Barra Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro
• Prelims – 9:00 a.m/12:00 p.m PST/EST (1:00 p.m local), Finals – 6:00 p.m/9:00 p.m PST/EST (10:00 p.m local)
• SwimSwam previews 
• Schedule & Results

Further cementing his claim as the greatest Olympian of all-time, Michael Phelps became the Olympian with the most individual gold medals, and individual medals of any color, with his fourth-straight Olympic title in the 200 IM Thursday night in Rio.

By winning his 15th individual medal of any color, Phelps broke a tie with Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina.  Phelps had won his 14th individual medal two nights ago in the 200 fly.

Phelps won tonight’s race in much more dominating fashion than he Tuesday.  Tonight, touched the wall with almost a body length lead, and ended up beating the silver medalist, Japan’s Kosuke Hagino, 1:54.66 to 1:56.61.  Tuesday night Phelps enjoyed only a 0.04 margin of victory over another Japanese swimmer, Masato Sakai.

Phelps also earned his 13th individual gold medal with tonight’s 200 IM victory.  That gives Phelps one of the more interesting Olympic records outright.  With his 12th gold Tuesday night, Phelps tied Leonidas of Rhodes, who won three golds in four straight Olympics over 2000 years ago.

With one more race to go, the GOAT can continue to add to his legacy with a medal, gold or otherwise, in the 100 fly tomorrow night.  But first, he has to make the finals of that event, as he needs to qualify in tonight’s semifinal roughly 30 minutes after the 200 IM.