US swimmer Michael Phelps won his third gold in the London 2012 Olympics on Friday, when he came on top in the men's 100-meter butterfly final at the Aquatics Center in the Olympic Park.
Phelps clocked 51.21 seconds to win the event. South Africa's Chad Le Clos and Evgeny Korotyshkin of Russia finished the race at the same time to tie for silver., thereby eliminating a bronze medal in the event.
The win gave Phelps his second individual gold medal at the London Olympics. He now is the only athlete to have won gold medals in two separate individual disciplines at three consecutive Olympic games.
Earlier in the week, Phelps' gold medal wining performance in Thursday's 200-meter individual medley earned him the distinction of becoming the first man ever to win a swimming event in three straight Olympics.
He has now won five medals at the London Games including a gold in the 4x200 freestyle relay, two silvers in the 4x100 free relay and 200 meters butterfly. The victory in 100-meter butterfly earned Phelps his 17th gold medal and 21st Olympic medal overall.
Earlier this week, Phelps became the most decorated individual in Olympic history when he helped the US team to win gold in the 4x200 meters freestyle relay. With that win, Phelps beat the 48-year-old record of 18 medals held by former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina.
The American swimming legend, now aged 27, had won a record eight gold medals in Beijing four years ago, adding to the six gold and two bronze medals he won in Athens in 2004.
Today's 100-meter butterfly was Phelps' last individual event in Olympics as he has already declared his intention to retire after the London games. Nevertheless, he has one more chance to add to his Olympic medal tally when he competes in the 4x100 medley relay as part of the US team Saturday night.
by RTT Staff Writer
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