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Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System Date: 14 Aug 2008 Title: US swimmer becomes most successful athlete ever -------------------- Beijing - Michael Phelps has become the most successful athlete ever after collecting his 10th and 11th Olympic gold medal on Wednesday. The United States is second in place on the medals table with 10 golds, followed by South Korea with six golds. Phelps claimed his 10th gold in the men's 200m butterfly, then added his 11th when the US quartet stormed to a runaway victory in the 4x200m freestyle relay in 6:58.56, chopping more than four seconds off their own world record of 7:03.24. That put the 23-year-old American two clear of Mark Spitz, American track and field star Carl Lewis, former Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi for the most gold medals won in Olympic history. "Growing up I always wanted to be an Olympian," Phelps said. "Now to be the most decorated Olympian of all time, I have nothing to say. "I kept thinking, 'Wow, greatest Olympian of all time.' It's a pretty cool title. I'm definitely honoured." Phelps has now won five gold medals in Beijing and is more than halfway towards breaking Spitz's record of seven Olympic gold medals in one Games. In between Phelps' victories, Australia's Stephanie Rice bettered her own world record with a time of 2:08.45 in the women's 200m individual medley to grab the gold. Also at the Water Cube, Federica Pellegrini became the first Italian woman to win Olympic swimming gold with a world record-breaking triumph in the 200m freestyle final. She shaved 0.63 seconds off the previous mark she set in Monday's heats with a time of 1:54.82. In the 100m freestyle semifinals, a world record was broken twice by Eamon Sullivan of Australia and Alain Bernard of France. Bernard regained the record he lost two days by clocking 47.20 in the first heat, but Sullivan won the second heat in 47.05. - BuaNews-Xinhua |
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