MICHAEL PHELPS WON his first gold medal of the world swimming championships today, taking the 200-metre butterfly in a tight race with Japan’s Takeshi Matsuda.
Phelps led after 100 metres this morning, but briefly relinquished the lead to Matsuda with 50m to go. Phelps, showing some of the late burst that typified his run to eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, then finished well ahead in 1 minute, 53.34 seconds.
Matsuda won the silver in 1:54.01, and Wu Peng of China earned the bronze in 1:54.67.
Phelps was the defending champion, setting the world record of 1:51.51 while taking gold at Rome in 2009 before high-tech bodysuits were banned.
- AP
