Olympic 2016 Results: How to View Live Updates for Friday Medal Tally
Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky will both fight to add additional Olympic gold medals to their massive tallies Friday night.
The world's top swimming stars can inflate the United States' medal lead after qualifying Thursday. In addition to winning the individual 200-meter medley, Phelps finished second in the 100-meter butterfly semifinals.
Ledecky, meanwhile, set an Olympic record in the 800-meter freestyle preliminary heat. She's a considerable favorite to win her fourth gold medal in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.
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Before breaking down their chances of monopolizing all the gold, let's take a look at the updated Summer Olympics medal count:
Ledecky, Phelps Swim for More Gold
Four years ago, a 15-year-old Ledecky captured gold in the 800-meter freestyle at the London Games. Then an underdog who shocked the world, she's now everyone's pick to repeat Friday night.
On Thursday, she excelled in the long-distance heat.ย Seven seconds may not seem like a huge margin of victory, so allow NBC Olympics to illustrate her dominance:
In each of the past three years, Ledecky ruled the event in the World Championships, setting a new world record every time. ESPN Stats & Info further highlighted her stranglehold on the 800-meter freestyle:
Along with claiming the 200- and 400-meter individual freestyle gold medals, she willed her team to gold in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. She also anchored a silver-medal finish in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.
"Oh, sheโs dialed in," U.S. womenโs coach David Marsh said, per the Washington Post'sย Dave Sheinin. "But then again, I donโt know that Iโve never seen herย notย dialed in."
Ledecky entered Rio with sky-high expectations, but she's on the verge of validating them by sweeping her individual events.
The 19-year-old is still 18 gold medals shy of Phelps, who scooped up his 22nd first-place finish Thursday night. Less than 40 minutes after securing his fourth gold medal in Rio, he rushed off the podium to qualify for Friday's 100-meter butterfly final.
Given his success at everything, it's unfair to label any event his specialty. Yet he has racked up three consecutive Olympic victories in this contest, accruing record times in 2004 and 2008.
Barring another comeback, this also marks the last individual race of his Olympic career. He'll have his swan song Saturday in the 4x100-meter relay, which has also netted him three gold medals.
He's still on top of his game, but the 31-year-old has insisted he will hang up his goggles for good this time.
"This is it," Phelps said on NBC after Thursday's preliminary heat, per CBSSports.com'sย Matt Norlander. "I'm swimming how I want to, and this is a great way to finish."
Phelps sounds intent on retiring on top, and he's on his way to meeting that goal. He's 4-of-4 entering Friday night, and viewers should relish his penultimate Olympic appearance.
