On Tuesday, the 2012 Summer Olympics saw history made at the Aquatics Center. Michael Phelps won a silver in the 200m fly and then added a gold as the United States blew away the competition in the 4x200m free relay. The medals were the 18th and 19th of Phelps’ career, respectively, making him the most decorated Olympian. Ever. In any sport. Here’s an updated look at the all-time medal rankings:
Atop Mount Olympics: Michael Phelps Breaks All-Time Medal Record
- Michael Phelps (USA), swimming - 19 (15 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
- Larisa Latynina (Soviet Union), gymnastics - 18 (9, 5, 4)
- Nikolai Andrianov (Soviet Union), gymnastics - 15 (7, 5, 3)
I think my favorite part about Phelps’ totals is that he’d never won a silver before London.
Phelps' 14 golds are also a record (though he set that mark when he won his 10th career gold in Beijing). The next closest American to Phelps is a fellow swimmer, Jenny Thompson, who won 12 medals (eight gold) between 1992 and 2004.
Here’s a quick breakdown of Michael Phelps’ medal winnings in the Summer Games:
- Sydney 2000 - No medals. Fraud.
- Athens 2004 - 6 gold, 2 bronze
- Beijing 2008 - 8 gold
- London 2012 - 1 gold, 2 silver
So, Phelps’ Tuesday: two more medals, including one gold, and a Olympic mark that may never be touched. Oh, and he still has three more races this week.
Michael, your thoughts?
For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation’s London 2012 Olympics Hub. For more on Olympic swimming, follow the 2012 Olympic swimming section.
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