Michael Phelps: Breaking Down the Olympian's Chances in London

Michael Phelps is slated to to compete in seven events at the 2012 London Games. While he won't be able to repeat the eight gold medals he got in Beijing, he is favored to medal in all seven events.

As Phelps said, it's just better to go for seven:

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“It’s so much smarter for me to do that,” Phelps told The Associated Press. “We’re not trying to recreate what happened in Beijing. It just makes sense.”

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Phelps, in many of these events, will go against his rival, fellow American Ryan Lochte. Their performances in the U.S. swim trials have been fantastic.

How will Phelps do in the Olympics? We'll break down each event. 

100-Meter Fly

Phelps won the 100 meter fly at the U.S. Swim Trials, with a time of 51.14.

Phelps is the world record holder in this event, with a time of 49.82.

Phelps was by far the best competitor in the Swim Trials at this race, so he didn't need to go all out.

In London, expect Phelps to come out strong for this race and challenge his world record and grab the gold.

200-Meter Fly

Phelps won this event effortlessly in Omaha, with a time of 1:53.65. The nearest finisher was 1.47 behind.

Phelps holds the world record in this event, with a time of 1:51.51. 

Once again, with the competition not as good in this race, Phelps didn't need to challenge for his world record. He will, however, be able to do that in London.

200-Meter Individual Medley

This will be one of the more intriguing showdowns. In Omaha, Phelps won this event, finishing just 0.09 seconds in front of Ryan Lochte.

Lochte is the world record holder in this event, with a time of 1:54.00. 

In 2008, Phelps won this event with a then world record time of 1:54.23.

This will be an incredible race and it will come down to the wire. Phelps won in Omaha, but Lochte will be ready to go in London. Phelps might have to make world record time to win. 

400-Meter Individual Medley

One of the most grueling events, the 400 meter individual medley is a test of skill and endurance. In Omaha, it was Ryan Lochte who finished on top.

Lochte won with a time of 4:07.06. Phelps, who finished second, had a time of 4:07.89.

Phelps won this event in Beijing with a time of 4:03.84, which is the world record.

Phelps will have to come close to that record time if he wants to beat out Lochte in this event. 

Relays

Phelps will participate in the 4x100 freestyle relay, the 4x200 freestyle medley and the 4x100 medley relay.

Relays are harder to predict, as we can't determine how his teammates will do.

The Americans are, however, not favored in the freestyle relays. The Australians are and have finished up to 1.5 seconds ahead of them in previous competition.

Final Word

Phelps will compete in seven events and has a chance to win all of them. His toughest swims will be in the two medley events and the relays. 

The matchups between him and Lochte will be incredibly intriguing and will make for great drama. 

He should win at least two gold medals and medal in all events. Phelps might not do as well as he did in Beijing, but he will still put on an outstanding performance and add to his 16 medals.