Michael Phelps wins 4x200m freestyle relay for 21st Olympic gold
The American legend swam the final leg of the relay an hour after winning his 20th gold in the 200 metres butterfly.
The United States won the men’s 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay on Tuesday, with Michael Phelps swimming the anchor leg to take his 21st gold medal.
Britain won silver, and Japan bronze.
Phelps swam the final leg an hour after winning his 20th gold in the 200 metres butterfly, a race that made up for a stinging 2012 defeat to South African Chad Le Clos.
Japan’s Masato Sakai took the silver medal and Hungary’s Tamas Kenderesi the bronze.
Le Clos, whose run-up to the Games was overshadowed by news that both his parents had cancer, finished fourth.
Earlier, on August 7, Phelps had bagged his 19th.
Cheered on by fiancee Nicole and his toddler son Boomer in the stands, Phelps again provided the spark, producing a quick 47.12-second leg to overtake France’s Fabien Gilot and set up victory in the 4x100m freestyle.
Nathan Adrian anchored Team USA to a time of 3:09.92 to end France’s dominance of the event that streches back to the last two world championships and the London Games four years ago.
Ledecky wins 200m freestyle gold
Katie Ledecky touched first to win her second individual gold medal and keep alive her bid to become the first freestyler since Debbie Meyer in 1968 to win the 200, 400 and 800 distances in the same Olympics.
Ledecky posted a time of 1 minute 53.73. This event, which Ledecky began swimming at the international level only last summer, figured to offer the most resistance in her attempt to match Meyer’s feat.
With a victory on Friday in the 800-meter freestyle, where she is a heavy favorite, Ledecky will match Meyer. Along with her gold in London in the 800 meters at the age of 15, she now has three Olympic golds.