1 last time: Phelps and Lochte duke it out in Olympic pool

Britain’s Tom Daley and Daniel Goodfellow compete during the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform diving final in the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 8, 2016. “That’s why he brings out the best in me and hopefully I do the exact same for him”.

Froome has matched his performance in the time trial, while Tom Daley and Dan Goodfellow finished in a dramatic third place in the 10m synchronised diving and Edward Ling won the bronze final in the men’s trap shooting.

Lochte, 32, thought Rio might finally be the Games when it was “my turn” to shine in the spotlight Phelps has monopolized since 2004. On Thursday, before they race, they’ll be “goofing off, playing card games, just a normal life”, Lochte said. But because a groin injury wrecked his Olympic Trials last month, he is down to the last of his two events.

As of Tuesday night, Ryan Lochte became a 12-time Olympic medalist and passed Mark Spitz to become the 2nd most decorated male Olympic swimmer of all time.

“It’s going to take a ideal performance in order to beat him just because of how tough a competitor he is”, Lochte said. The clock is ticking down on Phelps, who races five more times before hanging up his suit at age 31.

“We’ll hang out because swimming doesn’t dictate our friendship”, Lochte said. Dmitriy Balandin pulled off a stunning upset in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke, winning from the eighth lane to put his central Asian country on the swimming medal stand for the first time.

Brazilian Thiago Pereira qualified third quickest in front of his home fans in 1:57.11 but the real danger is likely to come from Japan’s Kosuke Hagino, who won the 400m medley in Rio and has plans to gatecrash the American party.

Katie Ledecky’s strong final leg helped the US women win the 4×200 freestyle relay over silver medalist Australia.

“The week has gone good so far, and I think I’ll be able to top it off well in the 800”, she said.

The only Olympians to win four consecutive titles in the same individual event are athletes Al Oerter in the discus (1956-68) and Carl Lewis in the long jump (1984-96).Phelps said he didn’t know how matching that feat might rank in his impressive list of Olympic achievements. Lochte, the world record-holder at 1:54.00, has won every world championships 200 IM since 2009.

“I really don’t care about Phelps or Lochte”. That wait ended on the second night when Adam Peaty and Jazz Carlin secured gold and silver respectively in the swimming pool to get Team GB on the medal board. And Russia goes for its first gold medal in the pool in the men’s 200 backstroke. World champion Mitch Larkin, and Americans Jacob Pebley and 100 back victor Ryan Murphy will vie for medals.