Swimming: Schooling makes life harder for Phelps

Phelps had just collected a silver medal in the men’s 100-metre butterfly, after finishing behind 21-year-old Singaporean Joseph Schooling, and tying with Chad le Clos and Laszlo Cseh for second, when he admitted several people had been asking him to continue.

Phelps, who took his tally to four gold medals at Rio by winning the event for the fourth consecutive Games in succession, moved ahead of Leonidas after edging out Japan’s Kosuke Hagino and China’s Wang Shun.

“It’s wild”, said Phelps.

Michael Phelps goes for history – again – and Katie Ledecky is set up to make some of her own in the Olympic pool.

One of those messages came from Ray Lewis, the former star linebacker for Phelps’ hometown Ravens.

But the “Baltimore Bullet” couldn’t add to his unparalleled 23 Olympic gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly Friday as he was beaten by outsider Joseph Schooling.

The 2012 London Games were supposed to be Phelps’ final Olympics as he retired from the sport.

“My body is in pain, my legs are hurting”, said Phelps after a crushing 200m fly win. He clocked a 50.39, faster than Phelps swam in any of his Olympic victories.

“It’s insane to think of what happens in eight years”, Schooling said, adding, “A lot of this is because of Michael. I swore in London I’m not coming back but this time it’s final”. “This win hopefully brings hope and change to some of the issues that are going on”. “I just wanted to push myself and see what I could do”.

Phelps recounted the story in an interview with the “Today Show”, prior to the start of the Olympics, saying he entered a psychological trauma and addiction center in Arizona in October of 2015.

Phelps’ final event of the 2016 Rio Olympics – the 4x100m medley relay – will take place on Saturday, August 13.

Schooling, meanwhile, was absorbing the enormity of his first.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet”, Schooling said. “I don’t know what to believe, like, whether I actually did it or I’m still preparing for my race”.

The last two swimmers to win joint gold were United States pair Gary Hall and Antony Ervin, who shared the men’s 50-meter freestyle title back in 2000.

‘It hurt a little bit, but with a good rest this afternoon think I’ll be fine, ‘ he said.

Nearest challenger Jazz Carlin (Great Britain) was more than 11 seconds back in claiming silver, with Boglarka Kapas of Hungary taking bronze.

Anthony Ervin, meanwhile, triumphed in the men’s 50m freestyle at the age of 35, some 16 years on from winning the same event at the Sydney Olympics.

Also advancing to the semis were defending champion Florent Manaudou of France, Cameron McEvoy of Australia, Vladimir Morozov of Russia, Santo Condorelli of Canada and Bruno Fratus of Brazil.

Phelps quickly swam over to congratulate Schooling, who seemed stunned by what he had done.

The American got her at the finish, with a time of 2:05.99.