Phelps Captures First Gold In Quest for History

Michael Phelps won his first gold medal of the Summer Olympics with a decisive victory in the 400-meters individual medley, Reuters reports. Phelps, who has a chance to win a record 8 golds in the Games, smashed his own world record—it lasted less than a day—with a time of 4:03.84. Laszlo Cseh of Hungary finished second, and USA's Ryan Lochte third.

The 23-year-old Phelps, whose next race is Monday in a relay, had said beforehand that tonight's race would probably be the toughest for him in the Games. President Bush was among those cheering him on in the stands. He now holds a career total of 7 gold medals, and he's trying to break Mark Spitz's record of 7 in a single Games. (More 2008 Beijing Olympics stories.)