Beijing Games: Day 9

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Aug 18, 2008

Beijing Games: Day 9

Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal at the Beijing Games, in the Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay, surpassing fellow American Mark Spitz's record seven at one Games in Munich, 1972.

Aaron Peirsol, the 100m backstroke champion in Beijing, led off the Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final and had the US in first.

Michael Phelps swims the butterfly in the third leg of the Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final.

Jason Lezak, the oldest man on the US swimming team at 32, dives to begin the anchor leg.

(Left to right) Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol and Michael Phelps cheer from the deck as Jason Lezak brings it home for a world record cheer for Jason Lezak, who barely out-touched France's Alain Bernard for the gold.

(Left to right) Medalists Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Michael Phelps, and Jason Lezak each hold their own American Flag after winning the gold medal with a world record of 3:29.34.

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant applaud the US team during the medal ceremonies.

Michael Phelps became the winningest Olympian ever and will leave China with 14 career golds -- five more than anyone else, with at least one more Olympics to go.

Michael Phelps climbs through a horde of photographers to bring flowers to his mother, Debbie, and two sisters.

Debbie Phelps, sitting in the stands at the Water Cube, tears streaming down her cheeks, her two daughters by her side, hugs her son after his 8th gold medal victory.

41-year-old Dara Torres, a five-time Olympian and the oldest American swimmer ever, dives at the start of the Women's 50m Freestyle Final.

Torres won the silver, finishing with an American record of 24.07, just .01 behind Germany's Britta Steffan.

Less than an hour later, Torres came back to anchor the US team in the Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay, and won another silver. (Left to right) Torres, Rebecca Soni, Natalie Coughlin and Christine Magnuson lost to Australia. Coughlin received her sixth medal of the games, giving her 11 in her career.

Runners pass Mao Zedong's mausoleum in Tiananmen Square at the start of the women's marathon.

Romania's Constantina Tomescu took the first gold of Day Nine in the women's marathon. The 38-year-old veteran beat a field of 81 competitors to finish the 42.195-kilometer race in a season-best time of 2 hours, 26 minutes, 44 seconds.

Britain's Paula Radcliffe looked determined to complete the distance and, limping, she was given a great ovation by the crowd as she finished 23rd in 2:32.38, 17 minutes slower than her best. It was a brave attempt by the world record holder who was hoping to erase the agony of Athens four years ago when, as the big favorite, she failed to finish, her race ending slumped on the pavement 6 km from the finish.

Kerri Walsh goes up against Brazil's Larissa Franca at the net during the Women's Beach Volleyball Quarterfinal.

Walsh and Misty May-Treanor notched a 21-18, 21-15 victory over the Brazilian team to advance to the semis. They remain undefeated all-time at the Olympics and have yet to even drop a set at this year's Olympic tournament.

Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser won the women's 100-meters in a time of 10.78 seconds. Fraser easily outpaced the field and punched the air as she crossed the line. The win gave Jamaica gold medals in both the men's and women's 100m with Usain Bolt taking the men's title in world-record time on Saturday.

Rebecca Romero took the gold medal in the women's individual pursuit on the cycling track at the Laoshan Velodrome. Romero became the first British woman to win Olympic medals in two different sports. She won a silver medal in rowing in 2004.