Salih Zeki Fazlioglu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(RIO DE JANEIRO) — Michael Phelps continued to shine at the 2016 Rio Olympics, swimming to his 13th individual gold medal Thursday in the men’s 200-meter individual medley.
Phelps’ victory also made for his 26th medal — 22 of them gold. Thursday’s win now ranks Phelps among other Olympians — track and field stars Carl Lewis and Al Oerter — as the only three Americans to take gold in an individual event four times, the New York Times reports.
As if those records weren’t enough, the Times reports Phelps’ 13th individual gold breaks an ancient record held by Leonidas of Rhodes, who claimed 12 individual victories over four Olympics. Leonidas’ last Olympic events took place in 152 B.C.
Phelps, 31, finished the 200-meter individual medley in 1 minute 54.66 seconds. Afterward, he held up four fingers, possibly indicating his fourth consecutive win in the event, or the four gold medals he’s claimed so far in Rio.
“Right now I don’t know how to wrap my head around that,” Phelps said of his 13th individual Olympic gold. “I don’t know what to say. It’s been a hell of a career.”
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