Phelps stays perfect in pool

BEIJING (AP) — Michael Phelps joined a stellar cast, including Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis, to become one of the winningest Olympians ever by grabbing his ninth gold medal.

Phelps dominated once again at the Beijing Games, winning the 200-meter freestyle with a third straight world record this morning. His latest gold medal adds to an already remarkable career that shows no signs of slowing down and leaves him tied for most in Olympic history.

This was the “Race of the Century” at the Athens Games four years ago, when a 19-year-old Phelps took on the 200 free just so he could compete with Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband. He touched third that night. In China, he has no equal.

Racing out of lane six, he quickly surged to the lead and led by a full body length halfway through the second of four laps. Phelps was nearly two seconds ahead of the field when he touched in 1 minute, 42.96 seconds, breaking the mark 1:43.86 he set at last year’s world championships.

Phelps is now 3-for-3 in Beijing, keeping him on course to beat Spitz’s 36-year-old record of seven golds in a single Olympics.

Along the way, he’ll take care of some other historical landmarks.

Phelps’s ninth career gold tied him with Spitz, Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi for the most wins in Olympic history.

The mark isn’t likely to be shared for long.

Phelps will go for his fourth medal of these games and 10th overall on Wednesday in the 200 butterfly, yet another event in which he holds the world record.

In the semifinals of the women’s 200 free, Katie Hoff advanced with the second-fastest time of 1:57.01. The 19-year-old American, who’s like a little sister to Phelps, is still trying to win her first gold medal after settling for bronze and silver in her first two events.

She still has three more individual races, plus a relay, to make up for that void.

Slovenia’s Sara Isakovic was the top qualifier at 1:56.50.

Aaron Peirsol won the men’s Olympic 100-meter backstroke, defending his title with a world-record time and extending the United States’ dominance of the event.

Peirsol touched in 52.54 seconds, lowering his old mark of 52.89 set at last month’s U.S. trials.

Teammate Matt Grevers earned the silver in 53.11. Arkady Vyatchanin of Russia and Hayden Stoeckel of Australia tied for the bronze in 53.18.

The U.S. has won the men’s 100 back at four consecutive Olympics, with Peirsol taking the title in Athens in a time that was 0.17 second slower.

Leisel Jones of Australia has won the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the Beijing Olympics.

She finished a body length in front of her rivals, touching in 1 minute, 5.17 seconds and bettering her old Olympic record of 1:05.64 set in the preliminary heats.

Rebecca Soni of the United States took the silver in 1:06.73. Mirna Jukic of Austria earned the bronze in 1:07.34.

Jones completed her set of Olympic medals in the event, having won a silver in 2000 and a bronze in 2004.

In beach volleyball, Kerri Walsh has her gold ring back on her hand and another golden prize in her sights.

The American beach volleyball player covered her wedding ring with a bandage on Tuesday, when she and Misty May-Treanor beat a pair of three-time Olympians from Cuba in straight sets to all but assure themselves of a spot in the medal round.

Walsh, who is married to fellow pro Casey Jennings, lost the ring on Sunday in the first game of the round-robin. It was dug up by a volunteer after venue officials combed the sand with metal detectors and security wands.

“I didn’t know I was superstitious about it until I lost it,” said Walsh, who had already called her husband and asked him to have another made so he can bring it to China when he comes out on Thursday.

Walsh and May-Treanor, the gold medalists in Athens, beat Dalixia Fernandez Grasset and Tamara Larrea 21-15, 21-16 for their 103rd consecutive victory. The Cubans, ninth-place finishers in both Athens and Sydney, fell to 1-1.