After making the 400m medley one of his eight triumphs in Beijing, Phelps had vowed he wouldn’t swim it again in major international competition.

“There was a lot of discussion about me doing it,” Phelps said. “The thing it came down to — I wanted to do it. This is an event I’ve done for a long time and I want to finish off my career doing it.”

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Phelps has a chance to become the first male swimmer to win the same event at three straight Games — although it’s clear he’ll have his work cut out to beat Lochte. “That time was not good at all,” Lochte said. “I know I’m capable of going faster.”