In the next lane, Serbia’s Milorad Cavic was gliding to the finish, just inches from the gold, his arms no longer driving but just reaching for the end.
That’s all Phelps needed. He didn’t have to be the fastest. Just first.
Phelps swam into history with a magnificent finish Friday night, tying Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal of these Olympics by the narrowest of margins in the 100-meter butterfly.
He got his hands on the wall a hundredth of a second ahead of Cavic - a finish so close the Serbians filed a protest and swimming’s governing body had to review the tape down to the 10-thousandth of a second.
“I had no idea,” Phelps said. “I was starting to hurt a little bit with probably the last 10 meters. That was my last individual race, so I was just trying to finish as strong as I could.”
Phelps’ time was 50.58 seconds, the only time in these Olympics that he won an event without breaking the world record.
Not to worry. The 23-year-old from Baltimore has now pulled even with the greatest of Olympic records, matching Spitz’s performance at the 1972 Munich Games.
Call this one the Great Haul of China - and it’s not done yet.
Phelps will return today to swim in his final event of these games, swimming the butterfly leg of the 400 medley relay. The Americans will be heavily favored to give him his eighth gold, leaving Spitz behind.
Phelps pounded his fist in the water and let out a scream after the astonishing finish. The crowd at the Water Cube gasped - it looked as though Cavic had won - then roared when the “1” popped up beside the American’s name.
Cavic’s time was 50.59.
The Serbian delegation filed a protest but conceded that Phelps won after reviewing the tape provided by FINA, swimming’s governing body. USA Swimming spokesman Jamie Olson said the tape was slowed to one frame every 10-thousandth of a second to make sure Phelps actually touched first.
It was impossible to tell on regular-speed replays.
“We filed the protest but it is already over,” said Branislav Jevtic, Serbia’s chief of mission for all sports. “They examined the video and I think the case is closed. The video says (Phelps) finished first.
“In my opinion, it’s not right, but we must follow the rules. Everybody saw what happened.”
Cavic wasn’t sure he actually lost, but said he would accept the result.
“I’m stoked with what happened,” Cavic said. “I don’t want to fight this. People will be bringing this up for years and saying you won that race. If we got to do this again, I would win it.”
A notoriously slow starter - Phelps was seventh out of eight at the turn - he really turned it on with the return lap, his long arms windmilling through the water as he closed the gap on Cavic and fellow American Ian Crocker, the world record-holder.
As they approached the finish, Cavic took his final big stroke and reached for the gold. Phelps, his timing a bit off but fully aware of where he was, did another mini-stroke and actually slammed the wall with his hands on the follow-through.
“I actually thought when I did take that half-stroke, I thought I lost the race there,” Phelps said. “But I guess that was the difference in the race.”
It was reminiscent of the 100 fly at Athens four years ago, where Crocker appeared to have the race won but Phelps got him at the wall by 0.04.
“My last two Olympics I’ve been able to nail my finishes, and it’s been by four one-hundredths and one one-hundredths,” Phelps said. “I’m happy and kind of at a loss for words.”
Andrew Lauterstein of Australia took the bronze medal in 51.12. Crocker was again denied the first individual gold of his career; he didn’t even get a medal, finishing fourth by a hundredth of a second in 51.13.
In other finals Friday night, Brazil’s Cesar Cielo sprinted to a gold medal in the men’s 50-meter freestyle, defeating a field of heavyweight contenders with an Olympic record time.
He won in 21.30 seconds, lowering his Olympic mark of 21.34 set in the semifinals. Cielo tied American Jason Lezak for bronze in the 100 free. It was Brazil’s first ever Olympic swimming gold medal. Amaury Leveaux of France took the silver in 21.45. Alain Bernard of France, the 100-meter champion, earned the silver in 21.49.
Britain’s Rebecca Adlington won gold in the women’s 800-meter freestyle, breaking Janet Evans’ 19-year-old world record.
Adlington touched in 8 minutes, 14.10 seconds, breaking the oldest record in swimming of 8:16.22 set by the American in Tokyo on Aug. 20, 1989. Alessia Filippi of Italy took the silver in 8:20.23. Lotte Friis of Denmark earned the bronze in 8:23.03.
Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry defended her Olympic title in the 200-meter backstroke, winning in a world-record time.
She led all the way, touching in 2:05.24, lowering the mark of 2:06.09 set by Margaret Hoelzer at the U.S. trials last month. Hoezler took the silver in 2:06.23. Reiko Nakamura of Japan earned the bronze in 2:07.13.
