Phelps breaks 400m medley world record

Athens:

World record holder and American swimming Michael Phelps broke his own 400m individual medley world record, clocking 4 minutes 08.26 seconds to win the Olympic gold medal. Nineteen-year-old Phelps bettered the mark of 4:08.41 he set at the US Olympic trials in California, earlier in July. Phelps is hoping to match Mark Spitz's Olympic record of seven golds at one Games. Phelps had built a lead of more than a body length after the opening butterfly and backstroke legs. European champion Laszlo Cseh of Hungary was able to narrow the gap by a hair on the breaststroke leg. But, Phelps pulled away on the closing freestyle leg. Erik Vendt, also of the US, in lane one, overtook Cseh to claim silver in 4:11.81. Cseh settled for bronze in 4:12.15. (with wire inputs)