Ryan Lochte got all the Michael Phelps attention on Day 1 of the 2012 London Olympic Games, but Phelps took it all back today as he broke Olympic medals record with his 19th medal received Tuesday in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
After Saturday, naysayers were speaking of Michael Phelps in the past tense and claiming Ryan Lochte to have ascended to his position, but Tuesday showed that Phelps has ascended to a literal Olympic peak breaking a record that was set decades ago. This record seemed nearly unattainable, but Phelps proved that he was ready to claim it and claim it he did. Interestingly enough, Lochte doesn’t seem to be keeping the momentum he appeared to have set on Saturday Day 1 of the 2012 London Olympic Games.
“This has been an amazing ride,” Phelps said Tuesday night, when he won the 19th medal that made him the most-decorated Olympic athlete in history ever. “It was a cool feeling. I’m sure I’ll be able to put it more in words once we get through the meet and then probably down the road.”
“I have never been prouder of him,” his longtime coach Bob Bowman said, his eyes reddened from the emotion of the night, seeing how the 27-year-old Baltimore swimmer swallowed his anger and disappointment and rallied to the next race. “The younger Phelps“, Bowman said, “may not have been able to do that.”
The United States team of Ryan Lochte, Conor Dwyer, Ricky Berens and Phelps on the anchor leg won in 6 minutes, 59.70 seconds. France took the silver in 7:02.77, while China was third in 7:06.30.
Phelps now has 15 golds, two silvers and two bronzes.
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