Phelps posts magical seventh Olympic win

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Michael Phelps equaled Mark Spitz in the Olympic record book Saturday and needed an almost magical finish to do it.

Seemingly beaten as he neared the end of the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps lunged forward with a final, mighty stroke and somehow got his fingertips to the wall an instant ahead of those of Serbia's Milorad Cavic.

The difference between them was .01 of a second -- far less time than the blink of an eye.

Replays showed that Cavic's hands were only inches from the wall as he glided to the finish while Phelps was still swinging his arms forward. But that glide did not propel Cavic forward fast enough to beat the onrushing Phelps.

Cavic's coach immediately filed a protest, but the medal ceremony went on as scheduled with Phelps standing on the top of the podium.

It was the seventh gold medal of the Beijing Olympics for Phelps, tying him with Spitz for the most ever in a single Games. He can win his eighth on Sunday in the 400-meter medley relay.

The gold was also the 13th of Phelps' Olympic career.

His was the only victory for the United States in the pool Saturday and his medal was one of just two captured by an American.

Britain's Rebecca Adlington won the 800 freestyle, wiping out the 19-year-old world record of American Janet Evans. Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe won the 200 backstroke after finishing second three times in these Olympics and Cesar Cielo of Brazil took the 50 freestyle.