- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
G.O.A.T. Drops Curtain On Rivalry With Ryan Lochte With Golden Show In 200 Medley
- Updated: August 12, 2016
One day, perhaps a production company will pay all the rights fees required for footage and mesh together a DVD. It can be titled, “The Greatest Rivalry.” Care to guess the subject matter? Hint: It has to do with what unfolded – for the last time – on Night Six of the Olympic Games at the Rio Aquatics Centre.
For more than a decade, we’ve sat back and watched them entertain, rarely – if ever – providing something less than award-caliber stuff. If Part One of their show was a one-sided affair, it set the scene for what was to come. Part Two certainly brought more drama, the action scenes hitting their peak.
Now, the curtain is closed.
The Michael Phelps–Ryan Lochte rivalry is no more, the last clash of the American superstars booked into history on Thursday night with Phelps capturing the 22nd gold medal of his career, and the 26th overall medal. Heading for a second retirement, Phelps left no doubt about the outcome, putting together another virtuoso performance that ended in a time of 1:54.66, the fourth-fastest of his career and No. 8 all-time for the 31-year-old. It was his 15th individual Olympic medal, breaking the Olympic record off 14, held by former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina.
The bummer to the narrative was Lochte’s fifth-place finish in 1:57.47, the 32-year-old unable to maintain his lead at the midway point and his third-place standing going into the final lap. Nonetheless, to discount Lochte’s significance in the event, and to the best rivalry the sport has seen, would be a narrow-view focus. A career is not made on one race, but in totality, and Lochte’s portfolio rates in the top 1%.
With Phelps notching a 1.95-second margin of victory, not far off his record 2.29-second triumph from Beijing in 2008, the silver medal went to Japan’s Kosuke Hagino in 1:56.61, the bronze to China’s Wang Shun in 1:57.05.
In the past, Phelps has restrained his emotions during the medals ceremony, a smile pretty much the extent of things. This week has been different. Tears appeared in his eyes during his first three ceremonies in Rio, but the medley elicited more, Phelps choking up at the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.
It may not have been the fairytale end to the rivalry, but it wasn’t without history. With his latest gold, Phelps became the first swimmer to win the same event at four consecutive Olympiads, acknowledging that achievement with a four-finger flash to the crowd of 14,000. Phelps joined fellow Americans Al Oerter (discus; 1956-68) and Carl Lewis (long jump; 1984-96) as the only Olympians to pull off The Quad. …
continue reading in source www.swimvortex.com
