By Jenny Maag

American swimmers won five medals, including three golds, one silver and one bronze to cap the seventh night of swimming on Friday (Aug. 3) at the Aquatics Center. Overall, the U.S. has accumulated 28 medals in the pool to lead all nations at the Games.

Missy Franklin captured the spotlight on a hot night for Team USA, winning gold and setting a world record in the women's 200-meter backstroke in 2:04.06. From the start of the race, Franklin was in control and ahead of world-record pace, building a body-length lead on the field by the end of the first 100 meters before cruising home for the win.

The victory marks the first time an American has won this event at an Olympic Games since 1972. Franklin also won the 100 backstroke earlier in the week, making her the first American since Belote to win both backstroke races in the same Olympiad.

"It was an incredible field I was up against," Franklin said. "On my way home -- the last 25 meters -- I know I was giving it everything. I could not feel my arms and legs. I knew I was going to take it out fast and have fun, and that's what I did. I'm the happiest girl alive."

Russia's Anastasia Zueva took second in 2:05.92, while Beisel out-dueled Great Britain's Elizabeth Simmonds in the last lap for the bronze. It was Beisel's final race of the meet.

Also competing in his last individual event, Michael Phelps captured his fifth gold medal of the Games, winning the men's 100 butterfly in 51.21. Phelps maintained contact with the field in the first 50 meters before surging ahead in the last 25 meters for the win.

South Africa's Chad le Clos, who bested Phelps in the 200 butterfly earlier in the week, tied for second with Russia's Evgeny Korotyshkin in 51.44. Phelps's teammate, Tyler McGill, was seventh in 51.88.

For the second straight night, Phelps defended his title in an individual event at three consecutive Olympic Games, having also won the 100 butterfly in 2004 and 2008.

"I don't even want to complain about going slower or having a bad turn," Phelps said. "I'm just happy that last one was a win. That's all I really wanted. This one was a bigger margin of victory than the last two combined, so I can smile and be happy. It was fun.

The most decorated Olympian of all time, Phelps' medal count now stands at 21. He will compete in his final event in the men's 400 medley relay.

Making her first finals appearance at a major international meet in the women's 800 freestyle, Katie Ledecky also had a stellar showing with a gold medal and an American record, turning in a time of 8:14.63. The 15-year-old was up against two seasoned veterans in Great Britain's Rebecca Adlington and Denmark's Lotte Friis, who qualified as the top-two seeds.

If Ledecky was intimidated, she didn't show it.

She was dominant, punishing the field from the start and never looking back. At the final turn, she was 31-hundredths of a second ahead of world-record pace, but missed the mark -- 8:14.10, set by Adlington in Beijing -- by nearly half a second. Garcia finished more than four seconds behind in 8:18.76, while Adlington was third in 8:20.32.

Ledecky did however shatter the American record of 8:16.22, set by the legendary Janet Evans on Aug. 20, 1989. Prior to tonight, it was the oldest American record, established over seven years before Ledecky was born.

It was almost a clean sweep for the U.S. in each of the four finals Friday, but France's Florent Manaudou surged ahead in the final 10 meters for the win over Cullen Jones, 21.34 to 21.54.

Brazil's Cesar Cielo, the defending Olympic champion and world record-holder, took third in 21.59. Jones's teammate, Anthony Ervin, was fifth in 21.78.

It was Jones's best showing in an individual event on the Olympic stage. He's also won gold in the now-legendary 400 freestyle relay in Beijing, and the silver in the same event on the second night of competition.

"I gave it 100 percent," Jones said. "I'm happy the time wasn't too bad. I'm thankful I got second. I was dreaming to get first, but it wasn't in the cards this time. Getting silver was enough motivation for the future."

This fifth-place finish capped a remarkable comeback for Ervin, who retired in 2003. He tied for gold in the 50 freestyle at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney with teammate Gary Hall Jr., and was also the world champion in this event in 2001.

He said he was inspired to return to the sport by a quote from the character Prospero, at the ending of Shakespeare's "The Tempest."

"It was his redemption, returning to where he came from," Ervin said. "My being here is my own redemption." Jessica Hardy also swam in the women's 50 freestyle semifinals, qualifying seventh in 24.68.

 

 

American Swimmers Roll On