Michael Phelps became the first male swimmer to win the same event at three successive Olympics when he clinched the men's 200 metres individual medley gold medal at the London Games today.
Phelps, who won the event at the Athens and Beijing Games, relegated compatriot and world champion Ryan Lochte to silver while Hungary's Laszlo Cseh took bronze.
The victory gave Phelps his 16th Olympic gold medal and 20th overall in his career.
Fellow American swimmer Rebecca Soni broke a world record for the second time in 24 hours earlier in the day to win the women's 200 meters breaststroke gold. She surged clear of her rivals after trailing after the first lap then taking the lead at the halfway stage to win in a time of two minutes, 19.59 seconds, slashing 0.41 off the previous record of 2:20.00 she set in Wednesday's semi-finals.
In Soni's race, South Africa's Suzaan van Biljon led at the first turn, but the American quickly seized control on the second lap. She was comfortably ahead by the second turn, then turned on the speed to beat her own record.
"It's been my goal since I was a little kid to go under 2:20," Soni said. "That's when my coach told me you're going to be the first woman to go under 2:19. I've been chasing it ever since. I'm just so happy."
Making Phelps's triumph even more remarkable, only two swimmers had ever won the same individual event at three Olympics, Australia's Dawn Fraser, in 100 freestyle in 1956, 1960 and 1964, and Hungary's Krisztina Egerszegi in 200 backstroke in 1988, 1992 and 1996.
It is a feat that had eluded generations of the best male swimmers until Phelps, who had the chance of doing it in four different events in London.
He also won gold with team mates Conor Dwyer, Ryan Lochte and Ricky Berens in the men's 4x200 freestyle relay.
He came fourth in the 400 individual medley and looked to set to achieve the feat in his favoured 200 butterfly but was pipped by South Africa's Chad le Clos on the final stroke.
Phelps still has the 100 butterfly to come on his programme, with the American the second fastest qualifier into the semi-finals, which will take place later tonight.
