Gäste Forum » 145kph in a lively opening spell despite battli

RIO DE JANEIRO -- As he stood atop the Olympic medal stand and The Star-Spangled Banner played for him for the 20th time in his career, Michael Phelps fought back the tears. This was the 200-meter butterfly, the first event he swam in an Olympics. The race his sister swam. The one event in which he had won more gold than any other. And when he looked to the scoreboard and saw the 1 next to his name, it all sort of hit him. He would probably never compete in this race again.The night had been about redemption. Not specifically targeted at South Africas Chad le Clos, who out-touched Phelps to win gold in the event four years earlier and then drew the Phelps death stare after shadowboxing in the ready room a night earlier. This was about Phelps getting something back that he believed belonged to him.I didnt say anything to anybody else, but there wasnt a shot in hell I was losing that race tonight, Phelps said. And, if I did, every ounce I had was going to be left in the pool.One of the consistent concerns of Phelps coach, Bob Bowman, was that his star pupil wouldnt swim with enough emotion. There might have been times Bowman was right during Phelps comeback run, but that wasnt a problem Tuesday night. Phelps stepped onto the blocks before the race, lost in his own intensely focused world. With every stroke, every kick, he did everything he physically could do to propel himself through the water as quickly as he could.At the 50-meter mark, Phelps was eight-hundredths of a second behind Hungarys Laszlo Cseh, the reigning world champion with the fastest time in the world in 2016. But by the halfway point, Phelps pulled ahead. With 50 meters to go, he had a .67 lead on le Clos. It was at this point four years earlier where le Clos made his move, and the point le Clos hammered home to his seven competitors a night earlier was theyd be scared about what he could do.But Tuesday, le Clos faded down the stretch, finishing fourth then breezing through the postrace interview area not to be heard from again. Instead, Japans Masato Sakai came charging in the final lap, putting fear in the heart of anyone pulling for Phelps. As he approached the wall with Sakai closing, Phelps told himself he was going to take one more half stroke. He thought it might cost him the race, just like he thought it had four years earlier against Milorad Cavic in the 100 fly. But this time, again, it worked. Phelps would win by four-hundredths of a second, the closest margin in 200 fly Olympic history.After the race, the celebration was on. Phelps first waved a No. 1 in the air and then sat atop the lane line like a king on his throne and held both of his hands high above his head.I came to the pool tonight on a mission, Phelps said, and the mission was accomplished.During the medal ceremony, up in the stands at the other end of the arena, Nicole Johnsons heart raced. She knew her fiancé would want to share this moment with their 3-month-old son, Boomer. So she and Michaels mother, Debbie, moved seats so Phelps could perhaps come back when the ceremony was over.It had been a roller coaster 20 months for Johnson. She was the one Phelps called when he left the casino that November night in 2014 after he was arrested for DUI. She was the one who dropped him off for 45 days in a behavioral rehabilitation facility to fight his inner demons. And she was the one who watched every day as Phelps put everything he had into training for this race, on this night, with his main competition, le Clos, in the lane next to him.As she looked at the video board and saw Phelps eyes well, hers did the same. Later, she struggled to put it all into perspective.Are you kidding me? she said. Is that a joke? Im speechless. I know the amount of work he put into all of this and especially that particular race. He wanted that back and he got it back.After the American flag was raised, Phelps circled the pool, posing for photos with Sakai and bronze medalist Tamas Kenderesi of Hungary. Kederesi, the latest swimmer to grow up idolizing Phelps, was only 3 years old when Phelps Olympic journey began in Sydney in 2000.When I was a child, I always watch his races and this is what prepared me for the competitions, Kederesi said. I just want to say a big thanks to him. He really help me a lot.After the medal parade, Phelps spotted his family and climbed a set of bleachers to say hello. Nicole, Debbie and Boomer all got a kiss. Then Nicole put the baby boy in her fathers arms.He was like, No. And I was like, Yes, you should hold him, Nicole said. And Debbie was like, Youre holding him.Eleven minutes after holding his son, Phelps would return to the deck and swim the anchor leg of the 4x200 freestyle relay. Prior to the race, Phelps told Conor Dwyer, Townley Haas and Ryan Lochte to get him a big lead. He was tired. And then, when Phelps tried to put his swim cap on, it snapped. Phelps chirped at Dwyer, who had already finished his leg and turned his cap inside out; he gave it to Phelps. The result was again gold.That was probably one of the most challenging doubles that Ive had for sure, he said.Twenty-four hours earlier, Phelps, Dwyer, Lochte and their other Olympic Village roommates watched videos of le Clos shadowboxing and the Phelps death stare that prompted a worldwide flood of internet memes. Then, with all that swirling around him, Phelps turned in one of the greatest performances of his career. When the night came to an end, he would have his 20th and 21st Olympic gold medals. The entire country of Brazil has only 24 combined in its Olympic history. Phelps matched Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina with a record 14 individual medals. And at 31, he became the oldest swimmer to win an individual gold in Olympic history. In interviews after Tuesdays events, there was a common theme in the comments of swimmers from all around the world: Thats Michael.He makes it seem easy. But to fully understand how remarkable Phelps dominance is at age 31, all you have to do is look to U.S. teammate Lochte. It was Lochte who four years ago crushed the world in the 400 individual medley and had many suggesting he was better than Phelps. Now 32, hes in Rio swimming in one individual event -- the 200 IM.Phelps, meanwhile, isnt even halfway through his program. He still has the 200 IM, 100 butterfly and a likely spot on the medley relay before his Rio Games -- and likely his career -- come to an end. He could potentially leave Rio with six gold medals, giving him a jaw-dropping 24 for his career.I was talking to Bob the other night and one of the things that is sticking in my head now is thats a lot of medals, Phelps said. Its insane, mind-blowing almost to me. 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Sri Lanka 330 for 7 (Dickwella 94, Kusal Mendis 94, Dhananjaya de Silva 58, Holder 3-57) beat West Indies 329 for 9 (Lewis 148, Holder 45*, Lakmal 2-67, Kulasekara 2-73) by one runScorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEvin Lewis, with just a handful of internationals under his name, struck a counter-attacking maiden ODI century to give West Indies more than just a sniff in their attempt to gun down a 300-plus chase for the first time in ODIs. Carlos Brathwaite and Jason Holder then came up with sprightly cameos to take West Indies to within 24 of Sri Lankas 330 for 7. Then, in a mirror image of Saturdays collapse that resulted in a tie, West Indies stumbled, this time to a one-run loss triggered by panic, poor shot selection and lackadaisical running between the wickets.The result meant Sri Lanka were assured of a berth in Sundays final, while West Indies and Zimbabwe will play a virtual semi-final on Friday to earn the right to meet Sri Lanka at the same venue. A tie or no-result would knock Zimbabwe out and ensure West Indies qualification.West Indies were in control until the last five overs of their chase. Carlos Brathwaite and Holder put together 45 for the seventh wicket, before Nuwan Kulasekara delivered an inswinging yorker that beat Brathwaite and hit middle stump. Suranga Lakmal then took over, bowling full and taking out Ashley Nurse in the next over. Suddenly, West Indies, who were cruising for most parts of the chase, needed 19 off 10 balls.It eventually boiled down to the final over, bowled by Nuwan Pradeep, with West Indies needing 10. After a single and a dot off the first two balls, Sulieman Benn muscled the third over deep midwicket to spark excitement in the West Indies camp. With three needed off three, Pradeep speared another yorker, before Benn holed out to sweeper cover, leaving Holder to score three off the final delivery. Pradeep bowled another one into the blockhole, with Holder only managing to squeeze it to cover for a single as Sri Lanka pulled off a heist.That meant Lewis 148, which contained 15 fours and four sixes, went in vain. His enterprise ensured West Indies rode the mini-wobbles and stood abreast with the asking rate for most parts of the chase. Then with the equation back into familiar territory - 154 off the last 20 overs with seven wickets in hand - he slowed down just a bit before recovering from a bout of cramps for one final hurrah.Brute force was justt one element of his knock.dddddddddddd. It was the other element - luck - that had played an equal part in West Indies chase. He was first put down on 26 by Kusal Mendis at backward point off Lakmal. Pradeep then reprieved him on 41 at mid-on. Then on 53, a close lbw shout went Lewis way. Given out, he reviewed the decision only for the third umpire to find the ball had pitched fractionally outside leg stump.That wasnt it. He survived a run-out chance on 114 when Niroshan Dickwella dislodged the bails before he could collect the ball cleanly. He continued to swing his way to make 148 before being stranded mid-pitch courtesy a mix-up with his captain Holder, with West Indies slipping to 262 for 6, needing 69 off 57 balls. Sri Lankas fielding nightmare extended to the end overs, with Upul Tharanga dropping a skier at mid-on to reprieve Carlos Brathwaite on 3. Sri Lankas fast bowlers, however, hit the blockhole with regularity in the end overs to bail the side out.That the bowlers had as many to defend was courtesy enterprising 94s from Kusal Mendis and Dickwella that contributed to Sri Lankas highest ODI score against West Indies. They lost Kusal Perera, cleaned up by Shannon Gabriel in the third over, but quickly got back on track courtesy Dhananjaya de Silvas exuberant 58. At one stage, Dhananjaya and Dickwella matched each other stroke-for-stroke; the shot of the innings being Dickwellas adventurous Dilscoop off Carlos Brathwaite.Dropped on 39 when Shai Hope put down a tough chance behind the stumps, Dickwella made them pay as he stitched together a 107-run stand with Kusal Mendis, who gradually switched gears. The hallmark of Kusals effort against spin was in sharp contrast to his measured approach against the fast bowlers - Gabriel constantly clocked average speeds of 145kph in a lively opening spell despite battling through a hamstring niggle - on a grassy surface that was half as menacing as it looked.Getting outside the line of the stumps, the sweep and the pull was his preferred mode of operation as he peppered the leg-side boundaries with five sixes. He fell six short of a maiden ODI century while trying to play a late dab, before Tharanga, the stand-in captain, and Pathirana then lent the finishing touches with cameos which made a difference in the end. ' ' '