Phelps wins fifth Olympic gold, easy U.S. relay win

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BEIJING -- Just as there is Michael Phelps and everyone else in the swimming competition, there was the U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team and everyone else Wednesday at the Water Cube.

A little more than an hour after Phelps won his fourth gold, setting a world record in the 200-meter butterfly, he led off for the U.S. relay team that swam away from the rest of the field for another world record.

The United States won by more than five seconds, finishing in 6:58.56. It was the first time any team had ever gone under 7:00. Russia was second in 7:03.70.

In fact, the United States is deep enough that it could have won even without Phelps.

But having Phelps, who won the 200 freestyle earlier in world record time, turned it into no contest. He was the only swimmer in the field under 1:44 and gave the United States more than a two-second lead.

Also swimming for the U.S. team Wednesday were Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay.

Phelps now has five gold medals in five events, setting, or at last contributing to, world records in each.

He swims in finals three more times before the end of the swimming competition Saturday and, barring unforeseen circumstances, will be a favorite in all three. If he wins them -- one is a relay -- he will break Mark Spitz’s record for gold medals in a single Olympics with eight. Spitz won seven in 1972.

When he won the 200 butterfly earlier Wednesday, Phelps earned the 10th gold medal of his career, more than any other Olympian in history. He was tied with Spitz, Carl Lewis, Paavo Nurmi and Larissa Latynina with nine. He now has 11.

-- Randy Harvey