Olympic Swimming 2012: London Will Never Live Up to Beijing Magic at the Cube

The United States’ men’s swimming team set the bar extremely high at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a masterful display. There’s no chance that London can top it.

The United States men won the gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter backstroke, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley, 400-meter individual medley, 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x200 freestyle relay and 4x100 medley relay.

Michael Phelps was the star of the show. He set a world record with eight gold medals in Beijing and another world record for most gold medals ever by an Olympian.

Not every gold medal would come easy for Phelps. In the 100-meter butterfly, he won by just .01 of a second over Serbia’s Milorad Cavic. In what was one of the most memorable Olympic events we’ve ever seen, the United States also defeated France in the 4x100 freestyle relay.

The United States was well behind France and was down to their final swimmer, Jason Lezak. Lezak would come all the way back to win by just .08 of a second in a miraculous finish.

Winning 10 gold medals, two silver medals and five bronze medals will be hard to beat, and not just in London, but ever.

Most of the hype surrounded Phelps and whether he would be able to break the record for most gold medals in one Olympic Games. Everyone watched each event he entered as he grew closer to the record, hoping that he could break it. On the edge of their seats, the United States and the world watched as he made history.

That excitement will not happen in London.

Phelps was in a world of his own in Beijing, rarely having much of a struggle to come out on top. In London, Ryan Lochte will give him a run for his money.

“He’s human,” said Lochte, according to USA Today. “He’s not a fish or anything like that.”

Lochte and Phelps will compete against each other twice in London, in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medleys. The two have already traded first-place finishes during the trials and there clearly is some tension between the two.

The London Games will not be focused on how many gold medals Phelps can win. It will be focused on who wins the two medleys. Even though they will be highly anticipated, it won’t come close to Phelps’ run in Beijing and the excitement that brought.