American legend Michael Phelps' unprecedented eight-gold ambition may be shattered on Saturday by his teammate Ian Crocker as the butterflyer is poised to launch a serious challenge in men's 100 butterfly race.
Meanwhile, the world record holder Eamon Sullivan and his anchor rival Frenchman Alain Bernard will resettle their duel for title in men's 50m freestyle race.
Phelps, who has already pocketed six gold medals in Beijing, will tie his countryman Mark Spitz's record of seven golds at one Games if he can beat Crocker and Serbian Milorad Cavic who topped the semifinal of men's 100m fly at 50.92, 0.52 second closer to Crocker's world record.
In the five individual events for Phelps, the 100m fly is the only one he has no world record in hand. He and Crocker are 2-2 in major international meets over the last five years, with his winning of the 2004 Olympic and 2007 world titles and Crocker claiming crown at the 2003 and 2005 world champions.
The world record of 50.40 seconds, Crocker created in Montreal still stands.
"Nobody knows what I've really gone through in the last eight years and what's gotten me to this point besides myself and a few people that I know well," Crocker said after the semifinal, "It's my own personal deal at this point."
In Beijing, Phelps failed to be among the top three both in the preliminaries and semifinals, he had to fire up his finishing power in order to qualify through to the final.
"For me to be a player in that race (Saturday), I have to be close at the 50," Phelps said. "If I'm not there at the 50, it's going to be tough to make up."
However, the compition between Phelps and Crocker is intense but respectful. Phelps put a picture of Crocker on his wall After he was beaten by Crocker at the 2003 worlds, in an effort to remind himself how bitter the defeat was. But after his win at Athens, Phelps gave his spot in the 4x100m medley relay final to Crocker, in an aim to share a gold with Crocker.
Face-off between Sullivan and Bernard will be due to replay on Saturday morning after the duo finished 1-2 on Thursday's men's 100 free. The Brute-sized Frenchman beat Sullivan by a margin of 0.11 second and led off in final of the 50m free of 0.21 second.
Despite double defeats by Bernard, The 23-year-old Aussie, who still holds the event's world record of 21.28s, said he was confident to take his revenge.
"I am very confident. Tomorrow is another day and hopefully I can go a bit faster."
"I was a bit worried because there were a few big guns in the second heat. I think I am a little bit lucky to scrape through (to the final), it could have been disastrous. But I am in the final and we will see what happens."
In women's events, Zimbabwean versatile Kirsty Conventry vows to swim to her first gold, as she has already bagged three silver medals, at Beijing Games. If the defending champ for the women's 200m backstroke wins, she will also be remembered as the first Athlete who wins Africa a gold medal in Beijing.
"That gold medal is going to be hanging over my lane every time I get into swim. So it's definitely my goal," said Coventry, who won the gold in Athens.
The ultimate award for women's 800m free may go to British Rebecca Adlinton as the 19-year-old teenager, who already clinched title for women's 400 free, has reset the Olympic record in the heats of 8:18.06, second-fastest ever in the event behind Janet Evans, whose world record of 8:16.22 has stood since 1989.
(Xinhua News Agency August 15,2008)