Phelps and Rice win gold with world records swims (2nd Roundup)

By Peter Auf der Heyde Aug 10, 2008, 14:40 GMT

Beijing - Michael Phelps and Stephanie Rice won the men's and women's 400m individual medley in a world record breaking time on Sunday, while the US men's 4x100m freestyle relay added another world record in the evening session.

Phelps, who is going for an unprecedented eight gold medals at these Games, got his meet off to a fantastic start in the Beijing Water Cube, clocking 4 minutes 3.84 seconds as he smashed his time of 4:05.25 from Omaha on June 29.

Hungarian Laszlo Cseh grabbed silver with a European record 4:06.16, and Phelps' friend and compatriot Ryan Lochte in 4:08.09 into second and third place.

The 23-year-old Phelps, who needs just three more gold medals to become the greatest Olympian ever with 10 golds and aims for un unprecedented eight overall in Beijing, announced afterwards that he would no longer swim the event.

'I told my coach Bob Bowman that this would be my last 400 IM, so I've got to go out there and get a good time. And this was a good time.'

It was his seventh Olympic gold overall and a 23rd world record.

Watched by US president George Bush, Phelps said the first thing he saw as he put his head out of the water was the president waving a flag.

'That was a very emotional moment,' said Phelps.

In the women's 400m medley, Rice reclaimed the world record as she became the first Australian to win Olympic gold in the event since Gail Neall in 1972 in Munich.

Rice clocked 4 minutes 29.45 seconds for her first major title, while Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe was also below the previous record with 4:29.89 for silver.

Favourite Katie Hoff had to settle for bronze in 4:31.71 and also lost the world record of 4:31.12 she swam on June 29 at the US trials.

Rice said she was focused on her own race. 'I wasn't thinking about the end of the race, it's more about the process. It's an amazing achievement, it hasn't kicked in yet. I've really given it my all.'

In the evening session, the US relay team of Nathan Adrian, Cullen Jones, Ben Wildman-Tobriner and Matt Grevers swam a world record of 3:12.23 to advance to Monday's final, where they could be pushed though by France and Australia, who were not far behind.

The Americans, who swam without Phelps, said that they did not feel any pressure to advance to give the super star a shot at winning eight gold medals.

Jones said that coach Eddie Reese would now have a tough time to decide whom to pick for the final.

'I think it is going to be tough. If I did not get on the final team it would be kind of devastating, but I believe in the coach and I believe in the relay team.'

Another American swimmer to make history on Sunday was Dara Torres, who anchored the women's 4x100m freestyle team to silver in the relay.

The 41-year-old mother of one became the oldest swimmer in the history of the Olympics to win a medal.

The gold medal went to the Dutch team of Inge Dekker, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Femke Heemskerk and Marleen Veldhuis.

The four swimmers, sporting brightly coloured orange fingernails, won in a time of 3:33.76, beating the US, who were 0.57 seconds off the pace and Australia, who finished in 3:35.05.

South Korean Park Tae Hwan became the first swimmer from his country to win an Olympic swimming medal as he took gold in the 400m freestyle in a time of 3:41.86 ahead of local hero Lin Zhang and American Larsen Jensen.

In the evening heats, Coventry lowered the Olympic 100m backstroke record to 59.00, and the same happed in the men's event with American Matt Grevers won on 53.41.

In the women's 400m freestyle, world record holder Federica Pellegrini bettered the Olympic record to 4:02.19 minutes, with Hoff on 4:03.71.

There was also a rare defeat for Phelps, who was beaten in his 200m freestyle heat by Switzerland's Dominik Meichtry, who beat the American by 0.86 seconds with a time of 1:45.80 minutes into the semi-finals. Park also went through.

'I'm in the top 16. That's all that matters,' said Phelps. 'I need to bank as much rest as possible and as much sleep as I can and not get run down. This morning was pretty emotional.'

The swimming competition continues Monday.