Michael Phelps silences big mouth Cavic

Updated on: 02 August,2009 10:11 AM IST |
Agencies |

Emotional Michael Phelps reminds Cavic of his tall talk after record-setting fly triumph in Rome

Emotional Michael Phelps reminds Cavic of his tall talk after record-setting fly triumph in Rome

US swimmer Michael Phelps during the men's 100m butterfly final on Saturday at the FINA World Swimming Championships in Rome. Phelps won gold and set a new world record with 49.82sec. PIC/AFP

The US superstar had beaten Cavic by just one one-hundredth of a second in Beijing, and the Serbian turned this World Championships showdown into a grudge match.

Phelps was quite emotional after the win. "There was a lot said leading up to that race," said Phelps, who beat Cavic by a hundredth of a second at last year's Beijing Olympics.

"That (my reaction) was all the emotion coming out. It probably won't stop for a couple of days."

Cavic looked to have the upper hand heading into the final. He broke Phelps' world record in the semis with a time of 50.01sec, and races in one of the new generation polyurethane swimsuits that have seen 37 world records fall so far this week. But Phelps notched his second world mark of the meet and captured his fourth gold without benefit of the newest technology, becoming the first man to break the 50-second barrier in the once-revolutionary but now outdated Speedo LZR. Cavic took silver in 49.94. Spain's Rafael Munoz was third in 50.41.

Cavic used his early speed to take the lead at the turn. Phelps was fourth at the 50m mark and used his vaunted finishing strength to overhaul Cavic in the final 25m.

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