Day 6 of Swimming at the 2012 London Olympics

Women's 200 Meter Breaststroke:

Rebecca Soni (Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images)

American Rebecca Soni set yet another world record in the 200 meter breaststroke with a time of 2:19.59.  Soni, tearing across the pool in her trademark pink suit, became the first swimmer at the London games to repeat as champion in an individual event.  Satomi Suzuki of Japan won the silver medal and Russia's Yulia Efimova, Soni's training partner in California, won the bronze.

Men's 200 Meter Backstroke:

Tyler Clary (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Day 6 of the Olympics for Ryan Lochte, in which he swam the finals of both the 200 backstroke and 200 IM with under 30 minutes of rest in between, was supposed to be the day in which he was to be coroneted as the world's greatest swimmer.  Lochte was attempting to be the first man in over 35 years to capture two individual golds in the same night.  Lochte appeared primed to repeat as Olympic champion in the 200 backstroke, and grabbed an early lead in the event.  Lochte led the race through the final turn, however, never pulled far away from the competition.  In the final 25 meters of the swim, Lochte weakened and was passed by both American teammate Tyler Clary  and Ryosuke Irie of Japan.  Clary, the gold medal winner, set a new Olympic record with his time of 1:53.41.  Irie's silver medal was Japan's 9th swimming medal of these games.  Lochte's bronze medal had to have been disappointing for him, but he graciously smiled on the podium and realized that winning an Olympic medal is nothing to take for granted.  Israel's Yakov Toumarkin finished 7th in the finals, the greatest achievement in Israeli swimming history.

Men's 200 Meter Individual Medley:

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte
 (Mark Duncan/AP)

The 200 IM was the single most anticipated and dramatic event of these Olympic games, featuring the second showdown between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.  Lochte, the world record holder in the 200 IM, had won the first battle between the two by blowing away the field in the 400 IM on day 1 of the Olympics.  Before the second showdown, both swimmers were under excruciating pressure, not having performed quite as well as they had hoped in the London games.  When Phelps was called out of the waiting room he appeared more physically nervous and stressed out than he ever has been before a race.  Lochte had just finished swimming the 200 backstroke, disappointingly failing to defend his title as Olympic champion, and was granted special permission to cool down in the diving well. 

The 200 IM would be the final chapter in the greatest swimming rivalry of all time.  Phelps got off to an incredible start and was under world record pace in the first half of the swim.  In the butterfly leg of the swim, Phelps' strongest stroke, he took a slight lead as expected.  In the subsequent 50 meters of backstroke, Phelps really exerted himself, surprisingly extending his lead over Lochte, with the knowledge that if he allowed Lochte to come back, Lochte would likely win the race.  Lochte was unable to catch up to Phelps in the breaststroke leg of the swim, and by the time he began to make up for lost ground in the final freestyle portion of the event, it was too late.  

Michael Phelps with the gold medal
Ryan Lochte with the silver
(Reuters)

Phelps held on to win the gold medal, his record breaking 20th Olympic medal, and became the first male swimmer to ever win a gold medal in an individual event at three consecutive Olympics.  Phelps' time of 1:54.27 was only 0.04 off the world record he set in the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, proving that his supposed demise had been greatly exaggerated.  Lochte's silver medal was the 11th Olympic medal of his career, moving him up to a tie for second behind Phelps on the all time Olympic medal list among US male athletes.  Lochte leads all athletes at the London games with 5 medals.

Laszlo Cseh of Hungary won the bronze medal, the 5th Olympic medal of his career.  Had Cseh swum in any other era he would be a multiple gold medal winner.  His tremendous career is overshadowed by Phelps and Lochte, who swam all of the same events as the Hungarian.

Women's 100 Meter Freestyle:

Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands won the 100 meter Freestyle.  Her time of 53.00 set a new Olympic record.  Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus won the silver medal, her country's second at the London games.  Yi Tang of China took the bronze.

Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Matt Slocum/AP)