Phelps sees off Cavic again
Saturday, 1 August 2009Michael Phelps won his grudge match at the World Championships in Rome on Saturday, writes RTÉ's Johnn Kenny.
Phelps won his fourth gold medal of the week in the men's 100metres butterfly, beating outspoken Serbian Milorad Cavic with a devastating final 50m.
Cavic, wearing the Arena X glide full body suit which have caused such controversy at this year's event, lined up against Phelps, in his Speedo LZR, with revenge on his mind after he was pipped by .01sec at the Olympics last year.
At halfway the Serbian held a half-body lead, with Phelps only in fourth, but Phelps finished with gusto to win in a world record time of 48.82, the 37th so far.
Phelps almost fell in to the Sebian's lane as he sat on the lane ropes in celebration, and there was only the briefest of handshakes between the pair in the water. Much of the tension stems from Cavic's comments that he and not Phelps had actually won the race in Beijing.
'There was a lot said leading up to that race,' said Phelps. 'That (his reaction to the win) was all the emotion coming out.'
