Michael Phelps broke his swim cap shortly before entering the pool for the anchor leg of the 800-meter freestyle relay, so teammate Conor Dwyer "took off his cap and gave it to Phelps and helped make sure it fit," according to Chris Hine of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Dwyer said, "I heard him say, 'Diddy, look at my cap, I don't have a cap.' We have different sponsors so I think he had to wear an all-black cap, so we reversed it" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/10). SWIMSWAM.com's Jared Anderson noted Dwyer is sponsored by Speedo, while Phelps is "essentially his own sponsor with AquaSphere's MP brand." Phelps turning the Speedo cap "inside out may have been a quickfire business decision." He may have made AquaSphere "very happy by not swimming a highly-publicized race under another company's logo" (SWIMSWAM.com, 8/9).
RELEASING YEARS OF FRUSTRATION: USA TODAY's Christine Brennan notes Phelps last night became the "oldest individual swimming gold medalist in Olympic history" after he won the 200-meter butterfly. South Africa's Chad le Clos, who became Phelps' "chief rival" after beating him in the event in the '12 London Games, "faded badly" and ended up fourth. Phelps after the race "pointed to the ceiling, wagged his index finger, pumped his fists and even gestured to the crowd to 'bring the noise'" (USA TODAY, 8/10). Phelps said, "There wasn't a shot in hell I was losing that event. ... That race was my bread and butter, and just to see the No. 1 by my name in the 200 fly one more time, I couldn't have scripted it any better" (MIAMI HERALD, 8/10). NBC's Matt Lauer said of Phelps waving his finger, "There are very few people who have the right to do it. People like Michael Phelps have the right to do it” (“Today,” NBC, 8/10).
ADDING TO HIS LEGEND: In DC, Jerry Brewer writes Phelps is the "greatest Olympian of all-time -- and with each medal, he makes that status harder and harder to assail" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/10). The NATIONAL POST's Cam Cole writes, "What transpired Tuesday night merely added to the lore" (NATIONAL POST, 8/10). In K.C., Vahe Gregorian writes when people were "running out of superlatives for Phelps ... he somehow continues to enhance a profile that long ago seemed beyond perceived mortal boundaries" (K.C. STAR, 8/10). The GLOBE & MAIL's Cathal Kelly writes Phelps has "become a figurehead for the entire Olympic movement." Kelly: "When you want to know what a proper athlete looks like, there he is" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/10).
THE BEST OF THE BEST: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Matthew Futterman writes last night was another episode of the "Michael and Katie Show," as Phelps and fellow U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky are "sucking the oxygen out of the rest of the Games every time they swim with a medal on the line." Phelps and Ledecky both won Gold last night -- Ledecky beat rival Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden to claim the 200-meter freestyle -- in races "that started nine minutes apart." U.S. basketball players Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and DeAndre Jordan were "leading the cheers" from the stands. While Usain Bolt and the track and field events "will take over before too long," there currently is a "pretty good gig playing at the pool" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/10).
