Michael Phelps Schedule: Previewing Each Race for American Megastar

Michael Phelps is taking on a lighter workload this time around and only participating in five events during the 2012 London Olympics.

His unprecedented eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing games will not be equaled and may never be accomplished again.

But there will still be plenty of interesting storylines surrounding the star this summer. His rivalry with Ryan Lochte will take center stage, and he also has a chance to become the most successful Olympian ever in terms of overall medals.

Here is the date, time and a preview for each one of Phelps' five races.

Men’s 400-Meter Individual Medley

Date/Time

Qualification: Saturday, July 28, 5:00 a.m. ET

Final: Saturday, July 28, 2:30 p.m. ET

Preview

The Michael Phelps versus Ryan Lochte rivalry will get started right away.  On the first day of the swimming competition, Phelps and Lochte will battle for a gold medal.

Lochte won this event at the 2011 World Championships and edged out Phelps at the U.S. Olympic trials.

But Phelps' gold-medal winning race in 2008 is still the world record, and he defeated Lochte every other time he faced him at the trials.

This will be Lochte's best chance to beat Phelps, and the race will undoubtedly come down to the wire.

Men’s 4x100-Meter Freestyle Relay

Date/Time

Qualification: Sunday, July 29, 7:05 a.m. ET

Final: Sunday, July 29, 3:54 p.m. ET

Preview

This event provided the most thrilling moment at the Beijing Games when Jason Lezak's epic surge in the last leg kept Phelps' hopes for a flawless Olympics alive.

Lezak will not be swimming this time around, and this will be an incredibly competitive race.

The United States took bronze at the 2011 World Championships. France, who was edged out by the Americans in 2008, finished second, and the Australians took gold. 

The Aussies were led by 21-year-old phenom James Magnussen, and he will lead a talented team in London. They will be extremely difficult to beat, and Michael Phelps will likely have to provide a historic performance this time around.

Men’s 200-Meter Butterfly

Date/Time

Heats: Monday, July 30, 5:25 a.m. ET

Semifinals: Monday, July 30, 3:30 p.m. ET

Finals: Tuesday, July 31, 2:47 p.m. ET

Preview

Michael Phelps is completely dominant in the butterfly events. The margin of victory is really the only part of this competition that is in doubt.

He set the world record for the 200-meter distance at the 2009 World Championships, and no one in the competition will be able seriously challenge him now.

However, one interesting storyline to emerge from this race will be Phelps going head-to-head with Tyler Clary, his teammate who publicly criticized his work ethic.

The two have since made up, but Phelps may be looking to make a statement to his brash compatriot.

Men’s 200-Meter Individual Medley

Date/Time

Qualification: Wednesday, August 1, 6:14 a.m. ET

Semifinals: Wednesday, August 1, 3:36 p.m. ET

Final: Thursday, August 2, 3:16 p.m. ET

Preview

This race will be billed as Phelps versus Lochte II. Phelps won this event at the Olympic trials, but Lochte won it at the 2011 World Championships and set the world record.

These two men are the best all-around swimmers on the planet, and they will showcase their talents in the individual medley events.

Phelps and Lochte have made a habit of staying neck-and-neck throughout their races. It is highly unlikely that either swimmer will be able to gain more than a one-second advantage.

This will be the second and final battle between the two giants of international swimming. It is one of the must-see events of the entire games.

Men’s 100-Meter Butterfly

Date/Time

Heats: Thursday, August 2, 6:21 a.m. ET

Semifinals: Thursday, August 2, 3:51 p.m. ET

Final: Friday, August 3, 2:38 p.m. ET

Preview

Phelps' last event will be slightly more dramatic than the 200-meter butterfly, but he is simply too fast in either races to be beaten.

Like the 200-meter fly, Phelps set the record in this event at the 2009 World Championships.

However, American Tyler McGill and Serbian Milorad Cavic could provide him with a challenge. Cavic battled Phelps to within 0.01 seconds in this event in 2008.

But this time around, Phelps will likely win by a more comfortable margin, closing his 2012 campaign out on a high note.