Phelps earns presidential approval

By Derek Parr

BEIJING (Reuters) - Michael Phelps launched his mission for a record eight Olympic gold medals at a single Games with a magnificent and emotional first Beijing victory which thrilled the crowd and a flag-waving President George W. Bush.

Phelps, bidding to better the seven golds won by fellow American Mark Spitz at the 1972 Munich Games, blasted to victory in the 400 meters individual medley in world record time on Sunday, and then said the race was his last in the event.

Moist-eyed on the podium after retaining the crown he won among his six gold medals of the 2004 Athens Games, Phelps presented an unusually emotional picture but broke into a laugh when the U.S. anthem came to an abrupt and premature end.

"I was pretty emotional after that race. I was not comfortable in the first 200 meters," Phelps said. "I'm emotional, excited. It's a really good way to start.

"Afterwards I looked up and saw President Bush giving me a thumbs up and holding up the American flag. That was pretty cool.

"I tried to find my Mom but I couldn't find her. It's an exciting time."

Prior to the race Phelps was under pressure from Hungary's Laszlo Cseh and U.S team mate Ryan Lochte, with many suspecting the event could be the one most likely to have ended his bid for eight golds.

The 23-year-old however, turned at the end of each phase, butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle, inside world record pace and reduced the 4:05.25 mark he set at the U.S. trials to 4:03.84.

Cseh finished in 4:06.16, while Lochte, who had pushed Phelps all the way at the U.S. national trials six weeks ago and was just 0.20 seconds behind at the halfway mark, finished in 4:08.09.

Phelps, who has taken 7.92 seconds off the world record since someone else last held it and now lowered it eight times in six years, said he had enough of the event, though coach Bob Bowman may be the final word on the matter.

"I told Bob that this would be my last 400 IM, so I've got to go out there and get a good time. And this was a good time," Phelps said.

Bowman, he said, had told him his 400 IM career would have to end in a record, then decided that the pair better discuss the swimmer's future plans.

"I wanted to get 4:03, to be honest I didn't feel so great. I was in the ready-room. I didn't feel so good, I got, like, these cold chills," Phelps said.

The chills however disappeared and he won easily.

"I just remember coming into the wall. It was kind of the same feeling as Athens.