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Photograph of Michael Phelps during the 200m butterfly semi-final by Thomas Kienzle/AP
After setting yet another world record last night in the 200m freestyle, swimmer Michael Phelps racked up his third gold medal at these Beijing Olympics. And he has two finals, the 200m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay, which will air tonight in the United States--the 200m fly at 10:18 p.m., the 4x200m relay at 11:16 p.m.
While there's attention on whether Phelps can get a record eight gold medals at these games--NBC's Olympics website has a section on Phelps's "Quest for Olympic History"--yesterday he played down that talk, saying, "I'm not even halfway done yet. I've done everything I wanted to do so far." 
With his six gold medals from Athens, his total of nine golds has now tied him with swimmer Mark Spitz, as well as sprinter Carl Lewis, middle distance runner Paavo Nurmi and gymnast Lariss Latynina, as having the most gold medals in the Summer Olympics. The 23-year-old marveled, "To be tied for the most Olympic golds of all time with these names in Olympic history, it’s a pretty amazing accomplishment.”
For some Olympics levity, try NBC's guess- which- male- swimmer's- abs- these- are game. The Observer noted, "It sounds like a game you might play on Queerty or something, but you can just do it on, you know, NBC's Olympics Web site."
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Thanks for the yummy eye candy!
What is this? Gothamist or Fleshbot??
Embarrassing as it might be, I have a major crush on MP. Rawr!
Hey, those are my abs! I'm gonna sue.
did MP tone those abs at the New York Sports Club or is Gothamist trying to go national on us?
The divers are waaay hotter than the swimmers.
watching him win over and over again is getting boring just like it did with the scoobie-doobies in the olympics when i was a kid. at least they had magic carpet races and moon events then....
Look at what Mark Spitz did with all his gold medals. My goodness what can one do with eight what Mark failed to do with seven?
Get a grip people. It's rec swimming. If a shark had an appetite and the dude was swimming offshore he would be shark bait. How is the world better if one shaves off 23 thousands of a second swimming in a pool?
Baseball players used steroids for an unfair advantage. Swimmers use special bathing suits. Olympic pools are built deeper to allow them to swim faster. We're going to need another set of asterisks because they beat the old records just as unfairly as Barry Bonds beat Hank Aaron's home run output.
Snoopy-
The world might not be better off, but that doesn't diminish their achievements. For a moment in time, they are the best in the world at something.
At the very same moment, the most you and I can say is that we posted a comment on a blog. (Arguably less of an impact on the world...)
Phelps wins his fourth...
...and the fifth.
Well Mr. Mell I don't think innovation in equipment is the same as steroids. If that is the case shouldn't any record held by someone who shaves his body, wears a swim cap, wears goggles, uses technologically advanced weight machines, and swims in anything other than a baggy knee-length cotton onesie have an asterick?
Plus steroids are actually illegal. As far as I know you can legally buy and sell those crazy swimsuits. Plus how do you know Hank Aaron wasn't on anything? Many baseball players have admitted that methamphetamines and other uppers which allowed you to have more energy to train and play over the long grueling season, were all over baseball clubhouses in that era. Just saying.
Michael Phelps is obviously an impressive athelete, and has really earned the attention he is getting.
Still, I feel like the media is really trying a little too hard to portray him as the all-American nice guy here. The news this morning had another gushing piece about him, growing up with a single mother, blah blah blah. You'd think he was running for office.
I know nothing about Michael Phelps; he might be a great guy though to succeed as he has, he must also be aggressive and competitive, and those traits generally aren't turned on and off so easily. I don't mean to suggest those are flaws, but I'd rather not have them oversell him, just so they can tear him down if a few years from now he gets into a fight with his girlfriend or gets a DUI, or whatever.
Meanwhile, I think Jason Lezak should be getting a little more attention for his absolutely incredible swim in the last leg of the 4x100. That guy seemed incredibly humble and low key at the end of that event. Without detracting at all from Phelps' accomplishments, Lezak's last leg was for me, so far, one of those amazing Olympic moments that I'll remember for a long time.
Phelps already has a DUI. Underage, to boot.
14 - you're right. The media's put him on such a high pedestal, at the cost of the rest of the team. I mean, he is amazing, but he's part of Team USA. Watching the relay last night, I had no idea who the other three swimmers were, and that's not fair to them.
Bejing Officials to Phelps: Take as many as you want, we're just going to stab you in the parking lot and take them back.