Super Ledecky, amazing Di Rado, incredible Ervin, surprising Schooling and, yes, one more unbelievable feat delivered by Michael Phelps

In the seventh and penultimate night of swimming finals the odds were subverted in three races out of four. Only in the 800 meters victory was claimed by the big favorite, Katie Ledecky, and could not be otherwise.
Two final out of four, the women's 200 backstroke and 50 freestyle men, were won by American swimmers on the last stroke, thanks to their particular skills in arrivals, confirming what we had stated earlier in this blog
A skill demonstrated once again by Michael Phelps when he added to rivals Chad Le Clos and Laszlo Cseh for the silver medal. Let's see.

"Wonder woman" Katie Ledecky. Her triumph in the 800 meters freestyle was written on stone, though not with those amazing dimensions.

She did not cares about the other swimmers in the pool, she could not, busy as she was in chasing her fourth gold (and fifth medal) in Rio, and above all in trying to improve her own world record. She achieved both goals at the end of a fantastic, solitary, ride. Se won in 8:04.79, relegating the closest of the other swimmers in the pool - define them rivals would not be appropriate - to a lead of almost half a lap. An overwhelming superiority, never seen before. The British Jazmin Carlin was second, with 8:16:16, a time trial certainly not contemptible, in the order of the world record that Janet Evans held for 19 years, from 20 August 1989 to 16 August 2008, with 8:16:22. The Hungarian Boglarka Kapas, bronze medal in 8: 16:37 ( 0.20 secs more than Carling), becoming the sixth all-time performer, just after Evans. Ledecký demolished his previous world record of 8:06. 68, set in January in Austin, and improved by almost 8 seconds her own Olympic record of London in 2012, when, as a fifteen-year old girl, she won the gold medal in 8: 12.86.

For Ledecky it was her fifth medal in Rio, after the gold in the 200m, 400m and 4x200m freestyle, and the silver in the 4x100m freestyle.
In the women’s 200m backstroke, Maya Dirado (USA) extraordinary finish gave her the Olympic title, in 2:05.99, a victory she earned on the last stroke by 0.06 secs, stunning the favorite, the Hungarian Katinka Hosszu (HUN), who led the race all the way, until the final touch. The Magyar was second in 2:06.05. Third place went to Canada’s Hilary Caldwell (CAN) in 2:07.54. For Dirado this was her second gold in Rio, after that won in the 4x200m free relay. For Hosszu it was her fourth medal, having previously won three gold: in the 200m and 400m IM, and the 100m backstroke.

The men’s 100m butterfly were also a memorable race.

Nor Michael Phelps and neither Chad Le Clos and Laszlo Cseh wanted to give in. So the three champions succeeded in an unprecedented feat at the Olympics: touching simultaneously in 51.14, a time which earned the three of them the silver medal.

The winner was Joseph Schooling, the youngest of all. The twenty-one Singaporean swimmer displayed a clear superiority and won in 50.39, third all-time world time, (best performance ever in fabric), after 49.82 of Phelps and 49.95 of Milorad Cavic at the World Championships in Rome in 2009, with Hi-Tech costumes.

For Phelps we have all run out of adjectives, but he did not run out of energy. Who knows where he pulls out the force that pushed him in the last meters to touch simultaneously to its two biggest rivals, avoiding being defeated by them.

Phelps ha the pride of having accomplished a mission impossible in his Olympic comeback, winning another Olympic medal, 27 in all (22 gold). After three consecutive gold medals in previous Olympics, last night Phelps had to settle for silver, which made him equally happy. The three "Tenors" of swimming went up on the podium holding hands, and then respond to cheers lifting their arms together. Nice, very nice.

Schooling had the rare pleasure, and honor, of beating his idol, Michael Phelps, to whom, years back, he had asked for an autograph.

Schooling attended the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, and then the University of Texas at Austin, where he swam for the Longhorns, under Eddie Reese, twice head coach of the USA men’s Olympic team.

The race offered another great performance, that of the young Chinese Zhuhao, who set the junior world record, with 51.26.

The men’s 50m freestyle had an unbelievable outcome too.

The favorite, the outgoing Olympic champion, the overpowering Florent Manaudou for a mere 0.01 secs missed to retain the title won four years earlier, with 21:34. He touched at 21:41, 9 cents more than the 21:32 with which he had qualified.

So the "old" Anthony Ervin, 35, an age ripe for a swimmer, but young biologically and in spirit, beat him and won the gold medal in 21:40. The American savored the unique taste of winning his second Olympic gold medal on 50 meters after sixteen years: in fact, in Sydney, in 2000, he won in 21.98, tying for gold with compatriot Gary Hall Junior. For Ervin this is the second gold in Rio, after the one won in the 4x100 freestyle. On the podium also Nathan Adrian, at 21:49, who necked his second bronze in these Olympics, after that won in the 100 meters.

Ervin became part of the Olympic swim team in 2000. He retired in 2003, at age 22, auctioned his Olympic gold medal on eBay to help survivors of the 2004 tsunami that struck the southeast Asia. He returned to training after 8 years, in 2011, and qualified for the Olympic Games in London in 2012, where he finished fifth. An incredible story of success.

DIVING

Yesterday, in the Olympic women’s 3m springboard preliminary round Canada’s Jennifer Abel upstaged the Chinese favorites to lead qualifiers for today’s semi-final with 373 points. China's Zi He, 365.05, and Tingmao Shi, 357.55, as well as Tania Cagnotto, 347.30, however, are right behind her and all gave the impression of diving very relaxed. So the Canadian should not rest on her early laurels, the road to peak is still long.

WATER POLO

In the men’s water polo tournament six teams have already made it to the quarter-finals: Croatia, Italy, Spain and Montenegro in Group B, with the USA and France bowed out; Greece and Brazil , in Group A, with Japan out while Hungary, Serbia (who managed her first win against Australia) and Australia will have to fight for the last two available places.

Yesterday’s results

Group A: Greece v Brazil 9-4; Serbia v Australia 10-8; Hungary v Japan 17-7.

Group B: Spain v France 10-4 ; Croatia v Italy 10-7; United States v Montenegro 5-8.

Team Standings

Group A: 1. Greece 6, 2. Brazil 6, 3. Hungary 5, 4. Serbia 4, 5. Australia 3, 6. Japan 0.

Group B: 1. Spain 6, 2. Italy 6, 3. Croatia 6, 4. Montenegro 4, 5. USA 2, 6. France 0.