Schooling knocks off Phelps for 100m butterfly gold
For the first time since the 2004 Olympics in Athens, someone other than Michael Phelps is the 100m butterfly gold medalist.
Joseph Schooling of Singapore pulled off a massive upset in Phelps' final individual event of Rio 2016, turning in an Olympic record of 50.39 to edge the American legend at the wall.
The world's most-accomplished Olympian entered the race looking for his fourth straight gold medal in the 100m butterfly, but started slow and couldn't catch Schooling in the final lap, settling for a three-way tie for silver and his fifth medal of Rio 2016.
Schooling's performance gave Singapore its first-ever Olympic gold medal in the country's history. The 21-year-old, who swims for the University of Texas, met Phelps before the 2008 Summer Olympics when he was a 13-year-old.
I wanted @MichaelPhelps to win, but it's both poetic & beautiful that Joseph Schooling beat his hero. #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/84zYpBQ8Vi
— Edwin Chua (@garnett21k) August 13, 2016
Laszlo Cseh of Hungary and Chad le Clos of South Africa tied for the silver medal with Phelps, who brought his career medal total to 27 with the second-place finish.
The silver-medal result could be the last time the world sees Phelps in an individual swimming event, as the 31-year-old told reporters after the race he would not be competing at Tokyo 2020.
.