In their last match of pool play, Phil and Todd clinch their spot for the elimination tournament that begins Friday! After a rocky start, the No. 2 seeded American duo (host country China takes the No. 1
seed) plowed through Argentina’s Conde/Baracetti in two games 21-12, 21-13.
Down the road from Chaoyang Park, Michael Phelps continues to amaze the world as he flew his way across the pool in the 200M fly and won another gold medal. Breaking the world record by :00.06 seconds, Phelps got one step closer to surpassing former USA swimmer Mark Spitz’s 7 gold medals in one Olympics. Phelps’ medal count: 4 gold in Beijing, 10 career gold medals, and 2 bronze medals.
After watching Phelps’ rack up gold medal number 4, it got me thinking…if Phelps does not surpass Spitz’s record of seven gold medals, will his Beijing run be considered a monumental disappointment? If he goes 7/8, 6/8, 5/8, or gasp…even .500 with 4/8 (which all by the way would get you in to Cooperstown’s HOF), will all of Phelps’ success be in vain? Would his dinner at the White House be taken away? Would he be dubbed the Phil Mickelson of swimming…or even worse, the 2000 Portland Trailblazers?
AVP's 2008 Olympics Blog Site 