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Phelps wins 7th gold, 5th world record
2007-04-01
Michael Phelps equaled the most hallowed mark in swimming, winning his seventh gold medal at the world championships Sunday night with his fifth world record. Muzi.com News 10040196-0 (muzi.com)Phelps smashed his own standard in the 400-meter individual medley by 2.04 seconds, becoming the most successful swimmer ever at the worlds. Muzi.com News 10040196-1 (muzi.com) "This is probably one of the best meets I've ever had," he said. "I'm definitely happy with how it turned out." Muzi.com News 10040196-2 (muzi.com) The 21-year-old American joined countryman Mark Spitz as the only swimmers to win that many golds at a major international meet. Of course, Spitz' achievement came on the sport's grandest stage -- the Olympics. Muzi.com News 10040196-3 (muzi.com) Phelps hopes to equal the feat or go one better at next year's Beijing Games. Muzi.com News 10040196-4 (muzi.com) "This is definitely the best-case scenario for what we had in mind leading into the (U.S.) trials and Olympics next year," he said. Muzi.com News 10040196-5 (muzi.com) Buoyed by Phelps' historic performance, the United States won a leading 36 medals, including 20 golds -- equaling its record haul at the 1978 worlds in Berlin. Muzi.com News 10040196-6 (muzi.com) Australia was second with 21 medals and nine golds, including five by Libby Lenton. Muzi.com News 10040196-7 (muzi.com) A Polish swimmer staged the biggest upset of the last night in the grueling 1,500 freestyle, where Aussie Grant Hackett's run of four consecutive titles ended. Muzi.com News 10040196-8 (muzi.com) Mateusz Sawrymowicz won the gold medal in 14 minutes, 45.94 seconds against the fastest field in history. He perched on the lane rope and waved his arms, urging the Aussie crowd to cheer him. Muzi.com News 10040196-9 (muzi.com) "It's great to beat Hackett," he said. Muzi.com News 10040196-10 (muzi.com) Yury Prilukov of Russia took the silver. David Davies of Britain earned the bronze. Muzi.com News 10040196-11 (muzi.com) Hackett struggled home seventh, ending a disappointing meet for the soon-to-be-married world record holder. He earned a bronze in the 400 free and was seventh in the 800 free. Muzi.com News 10040196-12 (muzi.com) "Nothing went according to plan," he said. Muzi.com News 10040196-13 (muzi.com) American Larsen Jensen was fourth, and teammate Erik Vendt eighth. Muzi.com News 10040196-14 (muzi.com) Katie Hoff looked like a chip off Phelps' block in winning the women's 400 IM. The 18-year-old out of the same North Baltimore club that launched Phelps set a world record of 4:32.89. Muzi.com News 10040196-15 (muzi.com) "It's my first one," said Hoff, who was part of a world record in the 800 freestyle relay. "I'm still in disbelief. I don't think I'll sleep tonight." Muzi.com News 10040196-16 (muzi.com) Hoff won by an even bigger margin than Phelps -- 7.25 seconds ahead of Yana Martynova of Russia. Stephanie Rice of Australia settled for bronze. Muzi.com News 10040196-17 (muzi.com) Just like Phelps, Hoff won the race on the breaststroke portion, when she dipped under world-record pace and opened a huge lead. Muzi.com News 10040196-18 (muzi.com) Phelps and Hoff accounted for the night's only world records. American swimmers set 11 of the meet's 14 marks. Muzi.com News 10040196-19 (muzi.com) Phelps never got a chance at an eighth gold in Melbourne after his U.S. teammates were shockingly disqualified in the 400 medley relay preliminaries Sunday morning. Muzi.com News 10040196-20 (muzi.com) Ian Crocker, who had been in position to derail Phelps in the 100 fly before losing to his rival, dove in too early on an exchange, causing the DQ. Muzi.com News 10040196-21 (muzi.com) "It definitely wasn't intentional," Phelps said. "Everything can't go perfect. It's all about how you adapt from those things and learn from experiences, learn from mistakes. I think he'll battle back from that." Muzi.com News 10040196-22 (muzi.com) Without the heavily favored United States in the medley relay, it was a wide-open race that had the screaming crowd on its feet throughout. Australians Matt Welsh, Brenton Rickard, Andrew Lauterstein and Eamon Sullivan outtouched Japan by 0.23 seconds for the gold. Russia finished third. Muzi.com News 10040196-23 (muzi.com) Phelps was gracious about Crocker's gaffe. Muzi.com News 10040196-24 (muzi.com) "When Team USA comes into a swim meet, we come as a team and we exit as a team," he said. "There are things that don't happen exactly as we want it to, but it's better to happen now than next year." Muzi.com News 10040196-25 (muzi.com) Still, Phelps closed out his eight-day run in style, winning the 400 IM in 4:06.22 -- easily improving his old standard of 4:08.26 set at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Muzi.com News 10040196-26 (muzi.com) "Being a second or more under my best time in a few events is sort of something that shocked me a little bit," he said. Muzi.com News 10040196-27 (muzi.com) Ryan Lochte took the silver -- a whopping 3.52 seconds behind his teammate -- for his fifth medal of the meet. Luca Marin of Italy earned the bronze. Muzi.com News 10040196-28 (muzi.com) "I need a wheelchair," Lochte said. "My legs are shot." Muzi.com News 10040196-29 (muzi.com) Phelps and Lochte dueled through much of the 400 IM. Phelps was under world-record pace after 150 meters of butterfly. Lochte narrowly took over the lead at 200 meters during the backstroke, his specialty. Muzi.com News 10040196-30 (muzi.com) But Phelps roared back on breaststroke, again dipping under record pace. Muzi.com News 10040196-31 (muzi.com) "That's probably my most improved stroke over the last six months to a year," he said. Muzi.com News 10040196-32 (muzi.com) He went 1.49 seconds lower on the first of his two freestyle laps before powering home with the red line that indicates the world-record pace lapping at his feet. Muzi.com News 10040196-33 (muzi.com) Phelps checked his time and leaned heavily on the lane rope, holding up his right index finger in the No. 1 sign. Muzi.com News 10040196-34 (muzi.com) "That was my last race, so I wanted to finish strong," he said. Muzi.com News 10040196-35 (muzi.com) Phelps' five world records equaled the number he broke at the 2003 worlds in Barcelona. Back then, he won six medals, including four gold. Muzi.com News 10040196-36 (muzi.com) As Phelps soaked in the applause during his victory stroll, Crocker looked on pensively from the stands, chewing gum. Muzi.com News 10040196-37 (muzi.com) Phelps stopped to hug his mother Debbie, who showered him with kisses and whispered in her only son's ear. Before leaving, he handed over his bouquet. Muzi.com News 10040196-38 (muzi.com) Lochte couldn't resist breaking out his gold, silver and diamond-crusted grill for the victory walk, getting cheers and laughs from other swimmers when he flashed the metal mouth caps he wore earlier in the meet on a dare from his teammates. Muzi.com News 10040196-39 (muzi.com)
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