This event belonged to a certain Michael Phelps in the new millennium, the greatest Olympian of all times won this four times in a row – a stand-alone historical feat in swimming. MP is now sitting on the tribune and offers expert commenting to the NBC so he followed live the coronation of his successor. 

And at the end it was the top qualifier Wang Shun who emerged as the new emperor – a somewhat stunning outcome though definitely well-deserved. He claimed bronze in Rio 2016 and in Budapest 2017, but never had a breakthrough performance – until this final. Wang really peaked when it counted the most. The race was led by US Michael Andrew till the 150m mark, like in the prelims and the heats, but the American couldn’t hold on for the freestyle, despite turning to the last leg with a full second lead. While he melted down, the chasers – four turned in a span of 0.2sec at 150m – rushed towards the wall to set up a thrilling finish. 

 Wang could hit an absolutely stunning gear to stop the clock at 1:55.00, becoming the third fastest ever in history (though Phelps and Lochte threw 1:54s on a lot of occasions). Duncan Scott had been a pick for the title beforehand and indeed the Brit produced a brilliant 1:55.28 but Wang shaved 1.16 off his PB to finish ahead of him. Full results

“I was only competing against myself. The opponent is me. No matter how others have performed, it shouldn’t concern me. I just focus on myself” the new medley king said.

The Japanese had high hopes in the medley events – but only their female star Yui Ohashi delivered (won both), here Daya Seto and Kosuke Hagino both failed to clinch a medal. Seto was closer but he was out-touched by Euro runner-up Jeremy Desplanches by 0.05sec. It was a long wait for Switzerland: Desplanches’ bronze is only the second-ever medal for the Alpine nation in swimming after Etienne Dagon’s third place in the 200m back in Los Angeles 1984.

In a heart-moving scene, freshly crowned champion Wang Shun bowed to Laszlo Cseh and shook his hands in the pool deck, honouring the Hungarian legend’s outstanding career which came to an end here. Cseh finished his 19-year-long tenure in style, reached his 10th Olympic final at his fifth Olympic at the age of 35. He came 7th in his last swim but his medal tally is astonishing enough without adding any more here: at world and continental majors he amassed 71 podium finishes, including 6 medals from the Olympics and 13 from the long-course Worlds where he was part of 9 editions between 2003 and 2019 and medalled in the first eight, a record hard to be matched in the future.