Phelps is Phlat

Michael Phelps came into London hoping to make history, and he did.  He lost a race.

What I don't get is that the race he lost was the men's 400-meter individual medley, a race he didn't actually train for. This is like playing bass in a rock band after you've spent years practicing to play lead guitar. And his medley swimming didn't exactly emulate the medley on the Beatles' Abbey Road.

The winner was Ryan Lochte, a nice guy who vowed to finish first in this race because it was his time.  And it was.  He didn't set a record, but he did get the job done, winning a gold medal in that same race.  Lochte is as engaging and engaging as Phelps is not, so it looks like it could be the moment where the Phelpster begins to recede into legendary status.  With the remaining races on his schedule in mind, let's hope Phelps doesn't get in the way of his own mythmaking just yet.

Also, Brendan Hansen came out of retirement and tried for a medal in the men's 100-meter breaststroke and got the bronze.  Not very impressive, until you consider that he got on the podium and his old rival in the breaststroke, Kosuke Kitajima of Japan - who beat Hansen in various breaststroke races, didn't get a medal at all.  It was a moment of sweet revenge for Hansen, who still had Kitajima's victory screams ringing in his ears.  (Cameron Van Der Burgh of South Africa won the gold.)

Also in the pool, the American water polo team fought through a tough game against - wait for it! - Montenegro, a country of about 625,000 people in an area slightly smaller than Connecticut.  Fear not, fellow Americans - the U.S. won, 8-7.  I'm pleased that they got a strong challenge and were able to overcome it - it means that they earned their victory - and I'm also pleased that Montenegro got so much attention from the American media for . . . something.

Meanwhile, skeet shooter Kimberly Rhode won a fifth consecutive medal in the event, winning with only one point below a perfect score of 100.  So 99 did just fine, even though 99 1/2 won't do elsewhere. (As for how this related to my previous Olympic commentary . . . I won't say it, it's too easy.  And inappropriate.)  And while this all went on, weightlifter Zulfiya Chinshanlo won the second gold medal for Kazakhstan,  setting a clean and jerk world record and winning medal in the women’s 53-kilogram category.  Make benefit for glorious nation! :-D

(Note: Because of my ongoing Olympic commentary, I won't be writing any Sunday record reviews until after the Olympics are over.  Besides, I haven't been in the mood to review any records for reasons I'd rather not go into.)