Rio 2016 Olympics: Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte set up final showdown

The American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte ended 1st and 2nd respectively in the 200-meter individual medley semifinal on Wednesday night at the Rio Olympics.

In doing so, Phelps claimed his record 22nd gold medal and 26th Olympic medal overall. Shun Wang of China snuck in for the bronze with a fantastic final leg after turning for home second to last. Phelps and Lochte are at once teammates and opponents, friends and rivals.

The 25-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps and 12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte will be sharing the pool once again during Thursday’s final. Phelps, 31, and Lochte, 32, having been competing against each other for more than 10 years, always seeming to bring out the best in each other.

Minutes earlier, Ryan Murphy, also on Team USA, won his second gold medal of Rio 2016 in men’s 200m backstroke final. All I know is I love racing against him.

Rio is the fourth straight Olympics Phelps has taken gold in the event, and he did so by a wide margin, far outpacing the rest of the field. Don’t forget, he won the men’s 200m butterfly and 4×100 freestyle relay. “The history we have is something special and something I’ve never had with any other competitor of mine”.

(CNN) – This year might be the last time spectators can see two particular swimming greats go head to head. Phelps withstood a fierce challenge from compatriot Bryan Lochte and local favorite Thiago Pereira to clinch an awesome win.

For Lochte, this final race could mean more.

Interestingly, Phelps’s mother, Debbie, also told the Today Show that there was seemingly a chance of Phelps making another run at Olympic gold. Phelps completed the 200 meters in 1:54.66.

You’ll have to wait one more day to watch Phelps actually swim for the gold, but you can check out his qualifying efforts in the heats and semifinals Thursday. Swimmers stick together. Her argument, however, is solid.