Michael Phelps moved within reach of his goal of winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics when he won his sixth yesterday with another world record.
The seemingly-invincible American stormed to victory in the 200 metres individual medley final, equalling his golden haul from Athens four years ago and leaving him just one short of matching Mark Spitz's record of seven golds in Munich in 1972.
"I have to conserve as much physical and emotional energy as I can now that I'm down to the last two races," said Phelps, who also set his sixth world record in as many days.
"I'm just going to try and rest and recover as much as I can and prepare myself for those races."
Phelps led all the way to touch the wall in one minute 54.23 seconds, 0.57 inside his old record set last month, beating Hungary's Laszlo Cseh and team-mate Ryan Lochte.
The 23-year-old Phelps had earlier won golds in the 400 individual medley, 4x100 freestyle relay, 200 freestyle, 4x200 freestyle relay and 200 butterfly and still has the 100 butterfly and medley relays to come in his quest to win eight.
"If it was over, he'd be the greatest Olympian that ever lived," his coach Bob Bowman said.
"It's difficult to compare but in terms of sheer dominance in his events and the times he's been putting up, it's hard to argue."
Cseh won his third silver medal behind Phelps this week, while Lochte grabbed the bronze despite plunging straight back into the pool half an hour after he broke the 200 backstroke world record to win his second gold after teaming up with Phelps in the 4x200 freestyle relay two days ago.
"If he (Phelps) wasn't in this sport and swimming I don't think I'd be as good," Lochte said.
"He is up there and he makes me become better and stronger in training. Without him I wouldn't be standing here today."
Lochte wiped 0.38 off the record he shared with his team-mate Aaron Peirsol when he surged away on the last length to win in 1:53.94.
Peirsol held on for the silver while the bronze went to Russian Arkady Vyatchanin on a golden day in the pool for the US, who won three of the four finals.
Soni outsmarts Jones
Rebecca Soni upset Australia's Leisel Jones to break the world record and win the women's 200 breaststroke final in 2:20.22. Jones, who won the 100 earlier in the week, faded on the last lap to win silver while Norway's Sara Nordenstam won bronze.
"I had plenty left in me, I saw Leisel behind and just pushed for the wall," said Soni, who underwent minor heart surgery two years ago.
"It's been a long road to get here, and I really can't believe that just happened."
Germany's Britta Steffen prevented an American clean sweep of the four finals when she won the women's 100 freestyle final by a fingertip from Australia's world record holder Libby Trickett, who only got into the final after China's Pang Jiaying was disqualified for a false start in the semi-finals.
Steffen, who held the world record for nearly two years until Trickett snatched it in March, overhauled the Australian on the last stroke to win gold in 53.12 with Trickett just 0.04 behind and American Natalie Coughlin third.
"In an Olympic final you want to be racing against the best swimmers and I would never have known whether I could beat Trickett in a direct duel unless she was in the race," Steffen said.