Michael Phelps Makes Olympic History

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL — Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, made history Thursday night, becoming the first swimmer to win four consecutive gold medals in the same event.

Phelps, 31, won big in the men's 200-meter individual medley — whipping through the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle — finishing nearly 2 seconds ahead of the other swimmers competing in the event.

Phelps clocked in at 1:54.66, followed by Japan's Kosuke Hagino (1:56.61) and China's Wang Shun (1:56.61).

Within 30 minutes, Phelps was back in the pool for the 100-meter butterfly semifinals, coming in second in his heat at 51:58, after Hungary's László Cseh with 51:57.

Between the two events, Phelps accepted his gold medal for the 200-meter individual medley, his eyes tearing up during the national anthem.

"It's obviously a really emotional event," Phelps later said. "It's very special."

Thursday's win marked the 22nd Olympic gold medal for Phelps, who picked up his 20th and 21st gold medals Tuesday in the 200-meter butterfly and 4x200-meter freestyle relay. He also has two bronze and two silver medals to his name.

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The men's 200-meter individual medley was scheduled to air at 10:01 p.m. on NBC; with little recovery time, Phelps then competed in the semifinals for the men's 100-meter butterfly at 10:34 p.m. and came in second in his heat. The 100-meter butterfly final will be broadcast at 9:12 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 12.

Photo Credit: Team USA/Flickr.

PREVIOUS REPORT — Michael Phelps, 31, won big in the men's 200-meter individual medley — whipping through the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle — finishing nearly 2 seconds ahead of the other swimmers competing in the event, including his teammate Ryan Lochte, 32.

"He brings the best out in me," Phelps told NBC Sports on Wednesday. "We're racers."

Phelps clocked in at 1:54.66.

Lochte came in fifth Thursday with a time of 1:57.47, after Hiromasa Fujimori of Japan (1:57.21), Wang Shun of China (1:56.61) and Kosuke Hagino of Japan (1:56.61).

The two have been rivals for more than a decade and are the most decorated swimmers (Phelps with 26 and Lochte with 12 medals) in Olympic history, according to USA Today.