ROME – Michael Phelps earned his third world championship gold medal Friday night, but as far as days go, there have been plenty better. Phelps was subjected to an unexpected verbal attack, stood helplessly by as he lost his second world record in 24 hours and, finally, got clobbered for the second time this week leading off a freestyle relay that ended with a gold medal for Team USA.
The bizarre storyline weaved itself perfectly through another chaotic day at the swimming world championships, where six more world records fell to bring the total this week to 35. That surpassed the previous record of 29 set at the 1976 Olympics – which is best known for the steroid-enhanced performance of the East German women’s team. This one will forever be known as the competition enhanced by high-tech, long-length suits that will be banned next year.
And two more days of competition remain.
“It’s absolutely astonishing,” said Australia’s Libby Trickett. “It’s clear something in our sport has happened that is dramatic.”
The day began when one of Phelps’ biggest rivals, Serbian Milorad Cavic, stood in front of a gaggle of reporters and declared that it was a “complete lie” that Phelps was stuck swimming in an old model Speedo LZR suit while others donned faster, more high-tech models. Cavic added that “if he wants a Jaked (suit) and they don’t want to give it to him free, then I will buy it for him.”
“I’ll buy him a suit,” Phelps said hours later. “I’ve always used comments as motivation. I’ve always welcomed people saying whatever they want. ... I try to keep most of my comments to myself to fire me up on the inside. ... I try to just pretty much let my swimming do the talking.”
Cavic kept coming later with more jabs, only by Friday night it was his swimming, not Phelps’, that was doing the talking. As Phelps stood by the pool watching, Cavic broke Phelps’ world record in the 100-meter butterfly semifinals.
Phelps had just swum his semifinal in 50.48 seconds, and Cavic, wearing Arena’s X-Glide suit, upped the ante with a 50.01, going 0.21 under the world record Phelps set a few weeks ago. (AP)