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SWIMMING: Phelps wins ninth career Olympic gold

US swimmer Natalie Coughlin celebrates after winning in the women’s 100m backstroke final in Beijing yesterday. PHOTO: EPA

Michael Phelps put on another dominating performance at the Beijing Olympics, winning the 200m freestyle yesterday with a third straight world record.

The American’s ninth career gold medal tied him with Mark Spitz, Carl Lewis, Paavo Nurmi and Larysa Latynina for the most in Olympic history.

Racing out of lane six, Phelps quickly surged to the lead and led by a full body length halfway through the second of four laps.

Phelps was nearly two seconds ahead of the field when he touched in 1 minute, 42.96 seconds, breaking the mark 1:43.86 he set at last year’s world championships.

“I just wanted to be out at the 50m point and that’s where I was,” Phelps said. “I was in open water and it was difficult for the other guys to see me.”

Park Tae-hwan of South Korea took the silver in 1:44.85, touching while Phelps was already looking at the scoreboard. Peter Vanderkaay, one of Phelps’ training partners, gave the US another medal by claiming the bronze in 1:45.14.

“I knew Park is strong in the last 50m,” Phelps said of the 400 free gold medalist, “so I knew I had to be fast and concentrated.”

Phelps is now 3-for-3 in Beijing, keeping him on course to beat Spitz’s 36-year-old record of seven golds in a single Olympics. He opened with a world record in the 400 individual medley, then led off a victory in the 4x100 free relay.

Phelps will go for his fourth medal and 10th overall today in the 200 butterfly.

Taiwan’s Hsu Chi-chieh (許志傑) placed eighth in his semi-final heat in the event yesterday, missing out on a chance to advance to the final.

However, Hsu’s performance was the best by a Taiwanese male swimmer at the Olympic Games.

It was also the best swimming performance by a Taiwanese since Lin Chi-chan (林季蟬) placed 9th in the women’s 800m freestyle in Atlanta in 1996.

Aaron Peirsol won the men’s 100 backstroke, defending his title with a world-record time and extending the US’ dominance of the event.

Peirsol finished in 52.54, lowering his old mark of 52.89 set at last month’s US trials.

Matt Grevers earned the silver in 53.11. Arkady Vyatchanin of Russia and Hayden Stoeckel of Australia tied for the bronze in 53.18.

The Americans have won the men’s 100 back at four consecutive Olympics, with Peirsol taking the title at the 2004 Athens Games in a time that was 0.17 seconds slower.

Natalie Coughlin won the 100 backstroke, becoming the first woman to ever defend her title in the event. She finished in 58.96 seconds.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Coughlin said. “I knew when I saw the ‘1’ by my name, because at first I thought I saw the clock wrong. It’s a great feeling.”

World record holder Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe earned the silver in 59.19. Margaret Hoelzer of the US took the bronze in 59.34.

Coughlin earned her second medal of the Beijing Games, having won a silver in the 4x100 freestyle relay.

Coventry was the silver medalist in the 400 individual medley.

Leisel Jones of Australia won the women’s 100m breaststroke, finishing a body length in front of her rivals and touching in 1 minute, 5.17 seconds, a new Olympic record.

Rebecca Soni of the US took the silver in 1:06.73 and Mirna Jukic of Austria earned the bronze in 1:07.34.
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