Michael Phelps of the United States won the Olympic 200 meters individual medley on Thursday to capture the 22nd gold medal of his career and become the first swimmer to win the same event at four consecutive Games.
Japan’s 400 IM champion Kosuke Hagino won silver and Wang Shun of China took bronze, both moving dramatically through the field on the final length after turning in fifth and seventh place.
It was yet another extraordinary swim for Phelps, 31, who has now won two individual and two relay golds at his fifth Olympics, two years after coming out of retirement.
His medal haul has now risen to 26, including two silvers and two bronzes, with the 100 butterfly final still to come on Friday. Thirteen of his golds have come in individual races, the rest in relays.
“Right now I don’t know how to wrap my head around that. I don’t know what to say. It’s been a hell of a career,” Phelps told reporters, while acknowledging the strain on his 31-year-old body.
“That hurt a lot … my body is in pain, my legs are hurting, I’m tired.”
Despite winning four golds in London in 2012, Phelps has said he was dissatisfied with his preparation and results there and wants to bow out on his own terms.
“The biggest thing for me through the meet so far is I’ve been able to kind of finish how I wanted to. I’ve been able to come back and I’ve been able to accomplish things that I just dreamt of,” he said.