Michael Phelps joined Mark Spitz at the highest peak of Olympic achievement on Saturday when his final, desperate lunge for the board brought him victory in the 100m butterfly by the thinnest possible margin and gave him his seventh gold medal at these Games — after an official protest from Serbia was rejected.
Milorad Cavic of Serbia appeared to have the gold tied up until Phelps’s perfect timing saw him home by one hundredth of a second. That is as precise as the timekeeping goes but if anything it looked less than that and shortly after the race Serbia protested the result.
That was rejected a few minutes later, confirming the seventh gold for Phelps.
”I actually thought when I did take that half stroke I thought I had lost the race right there, but I guess that was the difference in the end,” Phelps told reporters after the race but before the protest was launched.
“The last two Olympics I have been able to nail my finishes, I’m happy and at a loss for words but excited.”
Spitz is the only other man to have achieved the feat of seven golds at a single Games, back in Munich in 1972. Phelps will go clear of him on Sunday if, as expected, he joins his American team mates in winning the 4×100 medley relay.
NOTE: This post was updated following the Serbia protest and again after it was rejected. I also reworded it to make it clear it was the Serbia team who protested.
PHOTO: Michael Phelps of the U.S. celebrates after winning the men’s 100m butterfly swimming final at the National Aquatics Center during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 16, 2008. REUTERS/David Gray
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FINA has reviewed the tape by ten-thousandsth of a second a frame to show that Phelps did indeed touch the wall first. The electronic touchpad confirmed it, the Kenyen referee confirmed it, and even the Serb swimming committee was there to see the tape for themselves. What is there to argue about?
I saw the replay too. At first it appeared as if Cavic touched the wall first but if you take a closer look - he didnt touch it yet, he was just really close to it. When Cavic was gliding Phelps was stroking and when Cavic was just a fingernal away from the wall BOOM! Phelps hands went past Cavic to touch it first. It is almost too close to see but in that last millisecond Phelps’ hands were faster than the Cavic. And that made the difference.
Even if there is a debate it is whether they tied or not and whether there would be 2 winners. In any case Phelps would still have that Gold medal anyway.
- Posted by NaomiI recomend bloggers to listen today´s podcast, Julian explains very well how Phelps managed to win today. It was just amazing.
- Posted by EstefaniaI love the photo as well, man. That’s happiness.
- Posted by jfPhelps is entering a whole new stratosphere of Olympic performance, one occupied very few, an exclusive club of one has just acquired a second member. On hearing of Phelps achievement Mark Spitz said ”I’m just happy to be in the company of Michael Phelps”
But now Phelps has a opportunity to go beyond this territory with 8 Gold’s in a single Games, incredible.
- Posted by Neil BarnabyI like him very much!His performances are perfect!
- Posted by MaggieCavic at first stormed through the mixed zone and later said the technology might have malfunctioned but Gary is right — he didn’t want to protest. He said:
“If it was up to me I would drop the protest, I didn’t want to fight it. It’s a gold medal, it’s difficult to lose but I have to remember my goal here was bronze.”
It must have been difficult to lose a race like tht and I think in the circumstances his attitude was pretty good.
- Posted by Kevin Fylanthan u belive in your mighty administration so i cannot help u sorry
- Posted by dusanjust tell r u american gary?
- Posted by dusanI think I’ll trust FINA over your computer, dusan.
Thanks for the LOL.
- Posted by Gary Landis