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Phelps adds to records

August 3, 2012

Michael Phelps has claimed his 20th Olympics medal and 16th gold, beating teammate Ryan Lochte in the 200-meter individual medley. Phelps is the first male swimmer to win three straight golds in a single discipline.

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Michael Phelps of the US swims to win gold in the men's 200m individual medley final during the London 2012 Olympic Games
Image: Reuters

In the 200m individual medley, the American clocked 1 minute, 54.27 seconds, Lochte was just behind at 1:54.90, and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh got the bronze with 1:56.22. In the 400m medley, Phelps had lost to Lochte, his friend. The victory means that Phelps, the most decorated modern Olympian, now has 16 gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

And there were further golds for the US team in the pool. Tyler Clary beat Lochte, the favorite, for the 200m backstroke title.

Rebecca Soni broke her own world record from the previous day in the 200m breaststroke. She had previously won silver in the 100m breaststroke and now has two gold and three silver medals overall from 2008 and 2012.

With additional victories in gymnastics, judo and rowing, the US team has surged to 18 golds so far, drawing level at the top of the medals standings with China.

Home-team golds

The United Kingdom won three gold medals, two within five minutes of each other, on day six of the London Games. A victory in the team track-cycling sprint broke a world record when Jason Kenny, Philip Hindes and Chris Hoy defeated France in the men's final in 42.60 seconds. The win means Hoy has equaled Sir Steve Redgrave's UK record of five career Olympic gold medals.

Philip Hindes (front), Jason Kenny (center) and Sir Chris Hoy of Great Britain compete in the Men's Team Sprint Track Cycling Final on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games
The British men's team sprint-cycled to goldImage: Getty Images

Tim Baillee and Etienne Stott won the UK's first-ever gold in the canoe slalom, and compatriots David Florence and Richard Hounslow took silver. Just five minutes later, the world record holder Peter Wilson shot his way to an Olympic gold, scoring 188 out of 200 in the double trap.

German successes

The cyclists Kristina Vogel and Miriam Welte won the women's team sprint, giving Germany a fourth gold medal after China, initially named the winners, were relegated to second place for an illegal lane change. Australia won the bronze medal match earlier in the evening. Immediately following Vogel and Welte's performance, the German men's team defeated Australia in the bronze race.

Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov serves to Taiwan's Chuang Chih-yuan in their men's singles bronze medal table tennis match
Ovtcharov keeps his eye on the ballImage: Reuters

Dimitrij Ovtcharov defeated Chih-Yuan Chuang of Taiwan to claim the bronze medal in the men's table tennis tournament. It is the first individual medal for Ovtcharov, who won silver in the team competition four years ago in Beijing.

mkg/jm (AP, Reuters, dpa, AFP)