Phelps' Eighth Wonder
AUG 9, 6.50PM
Race 1: 400m individual medley, heat 4
Time: 4min 7.82sec, 1st
15HR 9MIN LATER
AUG 10, 10.04AM
Race 2: 400m IM final
Time: 4:03.84 (WR)
It was effortless. Phelps trailed at the first 100m, but then kicked into overdrive to win easily.
9HR 12MIN LATER
AUG 10, 7.21PM
Race 3: 200m freestyle, heat 8
Time: 1:46.48, 2nd
14HR 56MIN LATER
AUG 11, 10.19AM
Race 4: 200m freestyle semi-final
Time: 1:46.28, 3rd
1HR 6MIN LATER
AUG 11, 11.27AM
Race 5: 4x100m freestyle relay final
Time: 3:08.24 (WR)
Phelps was not the story here. It was his compatriot, Jason Lezak, who caught then-world record holder Alain Bernard on the anchor leg to keep Phelps' dream alive.
8HR 1MIN LATER
AUG 11, 7.32PM
Race 6: 200m butterfly, heat 6
Time: 1:53.70, 1st
14HR 42MIN LATER
AUG 12, 10.16AM
Race 7: 200m freestyle final
Time: 1:42.96 (WR)
Phelps was ahead at every turn, doing the first 50m in 25.98. A walk in the park.
52MIN LATER
AUG 12, 11.10AM
Race 8: 200m butterfly, semi-final
Time: 1:53.70, 1st
23HR 9MIN LATER
AUG 13, 10.21AM
Race 9: 200m butterfly final
Time: 1:52.03 (WR)
It was closer than most imagined. Phelps had trouble seeing because his goggles leaked. He did not have the vision, but he had the instinct to win by 0.67sec.
...Phelps completes his eight-gold journey
59MIN LATER
AUG 13, 11.22AM
Race 10: 4x200m relay final
Time: 6:58.56 (WR)
The US team obliterated the world record. No surprise there.
8HR 38MIN LATER
AUG 13, 8.07PM
Race 11: 200m IM, heat 6
Time: 1:58.65, 1st
15HR LATER
AUG 14, 11.09AM
Race 12: 200m IM semi-final
Time: 1:57.70, 1st
9HR 8MIN LATER
AUG 14, 8.19PM
Race 13: 100m butterfly, heat 9
Time: 50.87sec, 2nd
14HR 30MIN LATER
AUG 15, 10.50AM
Race 14: 200m IM final
Time: 1:54.23 (WR)
It was not so much that this race slowed him down for the next event. But it was that he had very little time between the medal ceremony and the 100m butterfly semi-finals - about seven minutes.
34MIN LATER
AUG 15, 11.26AM
Race 15: 100m butterfly semi-final
Time: 50.97sec, 1st
22HR 43MIN LATER
AUG 16, 10.10AM
Race 16: 100m butterfly final
Time: 50.58sec (OR)
Phelps out-touched Milorad Cavic at the finish. It was so close the result was protested by the Serbian delegation. Phelps was lucky to win this one.
24HR 47MIN LATER
AUG 17, 10.58AM
Race 17: 4x100m medley relay final
Time: 3:29.34 (WR)
Aaron Peirsol led off in the backstroke, giving the US a 0.2sec lead. Brendan Hansen lost the lead and Phelps took over in the fly, giving the US the lead again. Once again, Lezak is stellar and Michael Phelps makes history.
CJS: Such a gruelling schedule... heats, semis, finals... not forgetting press conferences... Simply magnificent!
