American Micheal Phelps, 27, hoping to be the first male swimmer to win the 400-meter individual medley in three consecutive Olympics, found himself fighting just to make the qualifiers.

However, American swimmer Ryan Lochte, 27, swam better than Phelps in the last tournaments leading up to the Olympics, and turned the dual between the two American swimmers in the finals into a rout.

Lochte beat Phelps by three seconds, pulling away from him with the other top two swimmers to win the gold medal.