Gold standard

With his world-record victory in the 200-meter freestyle, Michael Phelps became the fifth Olympian to win nine gold medals.

Paavo Nurmi, Finland Track and field (3 in 1920, 4 in 1924, 2 in 1928)

Larysa Latynina, Soviet Union Gymnastics (4 in 1956, 3 in 1960, 2 in 1964)

Mark Spitz, US Swimming (2 in 1968, 7 in 1972)

Carl Lewis, US Track and field (4 in 1984, 2 in 1988, 2 in 1992, 1 in 1996)

Michael Phelps, US Swimming (6 in 2004, 3 in 2008)

Three down . . .

Michael Phelps has won three of the eight gold medals he's seeking in Beijing.

1. 400 individual medley. Easily picked up first gold with a world-record performance.

2. 4 x 100 freestyle relay. Teammate Jason Lezak overcame France's Alain Bernard at the wall for a world-record victory.

3. 200 freestyle. Ties career gold-medal record of nine, winning by more than a body length.

. . . and five to go

If all goes as planned, Phelps will compete for five more gold medals. (All events take place in the morning in Beijing and will be broadcast live. For instance, Wednesday morning's races in Beijing will be carried this evening on Ch. 7.)

Wednesday: 200 butterfly and 4 x 200 freestyle relay. Should be his two easiest golds of the meet. Phelps was three seconds ahead of the field in the 200 fly at last year's world meet and the US relay was twice as far ahead.

Friday: 200 individual medley. Should win by a body length ahead of teammate Ryan Lochte, who'll be coming off the 200 backstroke half an hour earlier, with Hungary's Laszlo Cseh also in the chase.

Saturday: 100 butterfly. Should beat teammate Ian Crocker, as he did in Athens and at the world meet, but the margin probably will be less than a second.

Sunday: 4 x 100 medley relay. Should be a victory lap for the Americans, who've never lost at the Games. The only way they can lose is by false-starting, which they did in the world prelims.