Michael Phelps AP Photo
LONDON—Michael Phelps made more Olympic history Thursday, winning gold in the men’s 200m individual medley to become the first man to win the same individual swimming event at three straight Games.
Phelps, denied trebles in London in the 400m medley and 200m butterfly, delivered a vintage performance to win in 1min 54.27sec and collect his 20th career Olympic medal — and his 16th gold.
American Ryan Lochte, the world champion and world record-holder, took silver in 1:54.90 and Laszlo Cseh of Hungar earned bronze in 1:56.22.
Although it was his first individual gold of the 2012 Games, there was no fist-pumping celebration from Phelps but instead a smile of quiet satisfaction as his mother and sister cheered from the stands.