Michael Phelps, the first of his kind

LONDON -- You can't write history. It doesn't come neatly packaged, wrapped up with a pretty bow. If Michael Phelps had been able to write the script here Tuesday night, of course he would have won his signature event, the 200-meter butterfly. Didn't happen. He got caught between strokes at the very end, and he took silver. What a way to win his 18th career Olympic medal, tying him with Russian gymnast Larysa Latinina, who won her medals in the 1950s and 1960s.

An hour or so later, when the U.S. 4x200 relay team won, with Phelps swimming the anchor leg, he suddenly had 19, most ever.

And after four finals here at the 2012 London Games, Michael Phelps finally had his first gold medal of these Olympics.

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