Demolition job as Phelps wins 22nd Olympic gold

Rio de Janeiro : Michael Phelps swept to a jaw-dropping 22nd Olympic gold Thursday to become one of only three athletes to have won titles in the same individual event at four straight Games.

There was a stunning upset in the women's competition as Australian world record-holder Cate Campbell inexplicably flopped in the 100m freestyle, but there was no escaping Phelps as he romped to his fourth gold of the Rio Olympics.

The record-breaking American, whose place among the pantheon of sporting greats has long been cemented, stormed to victory in the 200 individual medley to match his London tally four years ago.

Competing in his fifth and final Olympics, Phelps also joined Al Oerter in the discus (1956-68) and Carl Lewis in the long jump (1984-96) as the only members of the exclusive four-in-a-row club.

Phelps utterly dominated a final which crackled with tension and brought the curtain down on his 12-year rivalry with fellow American Ryan Lochte.

After absorbing a strong start from local favourite Thiago Pereira, Phelps took charge on the backstroke leg before powering away to win in one minute, 54.66 seconds -- almost two seconds clear of Japan's Kosuke Hagino in second.

Hagino, who won the 400m medley last weekend, produced a quick finish to pinch silver in 1:56.61, with China's Wang Shun coming through for a surprise bronze in 1:57.05.

Lochte, a six-time Olympic champion, could only finish fifth, while Pereira's challenge faded badly as he trailed home seventh.

A little more than half-an-hour later, having collected his gold medal, Phelps returned to qualify fifth fastest for Friday's 100m butterfly final -- another event he won in Athens, Beijing and London.

Phelps could now finish with six gold medals, equalling his Athens tally and two shy of his epic haul in Beijing.

"I thought he did a really nice job," said his coach Bob Bowman. "He swam a great tactical race."