Michael Phelps farewells individual Olympic swimming with triple dead heat in 100m butterfly final

EVEN when he gets Schooled Michael Phelps still knows how to make Olympic history.

Michael Phelps tied for silver in the men's 100m butterfly final. Picture. Phil Hillyard

EVEN when he gets Schooled Michael Phelps still knows how to make Olympic history.

Phelps today claimed his 27th Olympic medal with silver in the 100m butterfly, finishing behind Singapore’s Joseph Schooling who won in an incredible time of 50.39s.

But it wasn’t that Phelps added another medal to his overflowing collection but rather the fact he dead-heated with not one but two of his fiercest rivals throughout his career to bring a perfect end to what he said was his final individual swim ever.

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Phelps touched in 52.11s to share the silver with long-time rival Laszlo Cseh of Hungary and trash-talking South African Chad Le Clos — the man who virtually goaded Phelps out of retirement for his fifth Olympics.

With Schooling breaking the Olympic record (50.58s) previously held by Phelps in the final, the US star was accepting of the defeat from a kid whom he once signed an autograph for prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Joseph Schooling with his idol Michael Phelps 8 yrs ago. Today he's above him on Olympic podium #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/iCfL0OQM9w

— Rob Woodhouse (@RobWoodhouseTLA) August 13, 2016

“I don’t like losing but I’m accepting it,” Phelps said.

“There is nothing I can do. It is what it is … hats off to the guy, it was hell of a race.

“I’m looking forward to see how he progresses over the next four years.

“Gee I would’ve liked to have ended with a victory in my last individual race but 52.11s is all I can ask for, it’s fun winning a silver medal to add to the collection.”

It took several moments after the race until Phelps realised he had been part of what is believed to be the first three-way tie in swimming history.

Singapore's Joseph Schooling is congratulated by Michael Phelps after winning the gold medal in the men's 100-metre butterfly. Picture: AP

“It’s wild, it’s really wild,” Phelps said.

“I looked up and saw second and I saw 52.11s and I was like ‘all right.’ Then Chad came over and then I saw Laszlo coming over and I looked back at the screen and I was like ‘oh my god, we all tied for second. Three-way tie.’

“I think with Laszlo and I we’ve had just about as long a history as Ryan (Lochte) and I have. Me, him and Ryan have been through a lot of IMs together and a lot of 200 flys and a lot of 100m flys.

“And obviously Chad and I the last four years, it’s kind of a wild ending to our story for all three of us being on the silver medal podium.”

Joint silver medalists, from left, Michael Phelps, Chad le Clos of South Africa and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary celebrate winning a silver in the men's 100m butterfly. Picture: Clive Rose/Getty Images

And just for the record, despite what Lochte says, Phelps is adamant this is the end. Tomorrow’s 4x100m medley final will be the last swim of his career and if all goes according to plan his 23rd Olympic gold.

“I will just clarify, Ryan doesn’t know what he is talking about,” Phelps said.

“I’m not competing in four years. I saw him today and was like ‘thanks Ryan throwing me out there for another four years.’ If he wants to come back I think it will be great and it will be fun to watch.

“This will be a fun sport to watch over the next couple of years to see how we transition.”

Laslo Cseh, Chad le Clos and Michael Phelps hold their silver medals, while Joseph Schooling celebrates Singapore’s maiden gold medal at an Olympic Games. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Originally published as Michael Phelps farewells individual Olympic swimming with triple dead heat in 100m butterfly final