Phelps caps career with gold in Olympic relay
London, Aug 5 (IANS/RIA Novosti) American swimmer Michael Phelps won his 18th Olympic gold medal in his final competitive appearance Saturday to help the US to the 4×100 medley relay at the London Games.
Phelps’ 22nd career Olympic medal was won in three minutes, 29.35 seconds, two seconds ahead of a strong Japan team.
Phelps overturned an early Japanese lead on the second leg to put the Americans in the lead with a typically strong butterfly.
Matthew Grevers, Brendan Hansen and Nathan Adrian were his teammates.
A Japan team of Ryosuke Irie, Kosuke Kitijama, Takeshi Matsuda and Takuro Fujii claimed the silver in 3:31.26.
The Australians, featuring Hayden Stoeckel, Christian Sprenger, Matt Targett, James Magnussen, clocked 3:31.58.
It means Phelps’ final medal chest contains 18 gold, two silver and two bronze.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
snb
