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| Michael Phelps of the U.S. heads to victory in
the final of the 200 meter individual medley at the Olympic Aquatics
Center in Athens, August 19, 2004.
(Reuters) |
Michael Phelps led from start to finish to win his
fourth gold medal of the Athens Olympics with a comfortable victory in the
200 meters individual medley on Thursday.
Phelps, who stayed on
course for a record eight medals at Athens, took charge on
the opening butterfly leg and was never seriously challenged as he swept
home in an Olympic record one minute 57.14 seconds.
Ryan Lochte came through on the concluding freestyle leg to complete an
American one-two, surging through from fifth place at the breaststroke to
freestyle turn to snatch the silver from Trinidad's George Bovell by just
0.02 seconds.
Lochte, who shared gold with Phelps in Tuesday's 4x200 freestyle relay,
clocked 1:58.78 and Bovell 1:58.80, with Hungary's Laszlo Cseh -- the 400
individual medley bronze medallist -- just adrift at 1:58.84.
Brazil's Thiago Pereira was in medal position until the freestyle when
he dropped to fifth.
Phelps had opened another busy day by qualifying comfortably for the
100 meters butterfly semi-finals, winning his heat in the third-fastest
aggregate time. He had the semi-final to come before the evening was out.
Phelps had already won gold in the 400 individual medley, 200 butterfly
and 4x200 freestyle relay and bronze in the 4x100 freestyle relay and 200
freestyle.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-08-20 11:00