Even as Michael Phelps added a little more gilding to a glittering Games career, the effect of his exploits was rippling through the waters of the London 2012 competition pool. A quartet of teenagers: America’s Missy Franklin and surprise 800m free winner Katie Ledecky, Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte and China’s Ye Shiwen were among the breakout stars poised to carry the sport forward to Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Franklin, with four gold medals and two world records in her first Olympics, and Ledecky, with her dominant upset triumph, helped propel the United States to its familiar spot atop the swimming medals table with 16 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze for a total of 30. China confirmed their arrival as an Olympic swimming power with five gold medals and 10 overall, 20-year-old Sun Yang becoming the first Chinese man to win Olympic swimming gold in the 400m free and adding 1,500m gold in a majestic world record swim.
After breaking Grant Hackett’s iconic 1,500m free world record for the first time at last year’s worlds, Sun was expected to shine. Ye’s tremendous finish in her world record-breaking 400m medley victory, however, prompted whispering in the Western press that provoked the ire of the Chinese team.
“People think China has so many gold medals because of doping and other substances, but I can tell you it is because of hard work,” Sun said. “Chinese are not weaker than those in other countries.”
Right behind China, France claimed a superb four golds, with Yannick Agnel delivering a scintillating 4x100m free relay gold ahead of the United States before a dominant victory in the 200m freestyle that left US world champion Ryan Lochte trailing in his wake. France’s four golds were one more than they had claimed in all prior Games, and Agnel said he had no intention of letting up before Rio.
Meanwhile Australia, traditionally the biggest challengers to America in the competition pool, floundered after big guns James Magnussen and James Roberts failed to fire. Australia’s 4x100m free relay women won gold on the opening night of the Games, but after sprint kings Magnussen and Roberts delivered sub-par swims that left Australia out of the medals in the men’s 4x100m free, the Aussies never seemed to recover. Instead the women’s relay provided their only gold and Magnussen came away from his first Olympics saying he was even more impressed with what Phelps had achieved in four Olympic campaigns that yielded 22 medals — 18 of them gold.
Michael Phelps – what they said
LONDON
AFP
What they said about US swimmer Michael Phelps, as the most decorated Olympian wrapped up his Games career on Saturday with 22 medals including 18 gold, two silver and two bronze:
“I’m going to miss seeing him rise to the occasion. Really, when he needed to do something spectacular, he did. That’s what I’ll miss the most.” Bob Bowman, who has coached Phelps since the swimmer was 11.
“He has brought onto the scene so many more people into the sport and it has made people re-think the impossible and re-think what they can do. When someone does that for you, it makes them such an incredible role model.”
American swimmer Missy Franklin, 17.
“Congrats to Michael Phelps for breaking the all-time Olympic medal record. You’ve made your country proud. – bo”
US President Barack Obama in a personal message to Phelps posted on Twitter.
“He is my hero. I have the 2008 fly final on my laptop in about seven languages. He is definitely the greatest Olympian of all time.” South African Chad le Clos, who pulled off the upset against his idol in the 200m butterfly and was thrilled to be tipped for stardom by the American.
“I think you can clearly say that by the medal tally he is the most successful. My personal view is that I’m not sure he’s the greatest. But he’s certainly the most successful.” Sebastian Coe, a two-time Olympic athletics gold medallist and London Games chief. “I think I can speak for everyone when I say Michael Phelps will go down as a man who made history. I am happy to have been part of a team with him and it is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. … Having him not there is going to be really weird.”
