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Updates from Rio: Ledecky, Phelps win gold

Posted at 8:24 PM, Aug 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-09 22:47:59-04

 RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- The Latest on the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (all times local):

  10:40 p.m.

   Michael Phelps made up for one of the few losses in his Olympic career.

   Now, he's got an even 20 gold medals.

   Phelps avenged his defeat at the 2012 London Games by winning the 200-meter butterfly on Tuesday night, holding off Japan's Masato Sakai by a mere four-hundredths of a second.

   The victory clearly delighted Phelps, who held up one finger, then sat on a lane rope and egged on the roaring crowd at the Olympic Aquatic Stadium.

   He'd had this one marked on his calendar ever since he came out of retirement. Four years ago, Phelps misjudged his finish -- gliding a little too long after his final stroke -- and was edged at the wall by South African Chad le Clos.

   This time, it was Phelps out front -- barely -- while Le Clos could only manage a fourth-place showing. Hungary's Tamas Kenderesi claimed the bronze.

   He has one more race Tuesday night, anchoring the U.S. team in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

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   10:15 p.m.

   Defending Olympic champion Nathan Adrian barely advanced in the preliminaries of the 100-meter freestyle at the Rio Olympics.

   He wasn't taking any chances in the semifinals Tuesday night.

   Competing in lane eight, Adrian posted the fastest time out of 16 swimmers, sending him to Wednesday's final with a much more customary position in the center of the pool.

   The biggest cheers at the Olympic Aquatic Center were for Brazil's Marcelo Chierighini, who advanced to the final with the eighth-best time.

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   10:30 p.m.

   MEDAL ALERT: Michael Phelps has won the 200-meter butterfly at the Rio Olympics for the 20th gold medal of his career. Masato Sakai of Japan claimed the silver, while Hungary's Tamas Kenderesi earned the bronze. Defending Olympic champion Chad le Clos of South Africa was fourth.

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   10:25 p.m.

   MEDAL ALERT: Katie Ledecky of the United States has captured her second gold medal of the Rio Olympics, winning the 200-meter freestyle. Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden claims the silver and Emma McKeon of Australia takes the bronze.
 

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   10:15 p.m.

   The tiny island kingdom of Tonga is hoping more tourists will visit after its chiseled flag-bearer became an unexpected sensation at the Olympics opening ceremony.

   Pita Taufatofua carried Tonga's flag wearing a traditional mat and with his bare chest oiled and shining. The taekwondo competitor won the hearts of many and has been in hot demand since, even making an appearance on NBC's "Today" show.

   Tourism Tonga spokeswoman Seini Taumoepeau said in an email Tuesday there's been lots more online interest in the Pacific nation since Taufatofua's appearance Friday in Rio de Janeiro, and she hopes that will result in increased tourist numbers over the coming months.

   She said thousands more people have been clicking on a website promoting Tongan vacations and hundreds more have viewed the kingdom's Facebook page.

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   10 p.m.

   Four-time gold medalist Michael Johnson says the booing of athletes at the Olympics would stop if drug cheats were kept out of the games.

   The former 200- and 400-meter runner blames the IOC for allowing previous drug violators into the Rio de Janeiro Games.

   Johnson says "nobody wants athletes to be booed at the Olympic Games, that's not what this is about."

   He says the answer is to "keep athletes who have been doping out of the Olympics and out of the sport, and handing down appropriate punishment."

   Johnson says the problem is "on the IOC, it's their event."

   IOC President Thomas Bach told The Associated Press on Monday he will try again to push through a rule barring any athletes who have received a serious doping sanction from competing in future Olympics. The proposed rule has been struck down twice by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on grounds it amounts to a second punishment for a single offense.

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   9:55 p.m

   Michael Phelps will have a shot at two more gold medals in one night at the Rio Olympics.

   Phelps is anchoring the U.S. team in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. Conor Dwyer leads off, followed by Townley Haas, Ryan Lochte and Phelps.

   The most decorated athlete in Olympic history will be in two finals on Tuesday, going in the 200 butterfly about an hour before he comes back in the relay. Phelps has a shot at the 20th and 21st gold medals of his career, having already carried the Americans to victory in the 4x100 free relay.