2008 Beijing Michael Phelps Gold Medal 100m Butterfly: How can a person make something that seems impossible, effortless? Well, that’s exactly what Michael Phelps is doing in the games of the XXIX Olympian in Beijing, China. Last night, Phelps took a step closer to Olympic immortality, by pocketing his 6th Gold Medal (200m Individual Medley) in as many events, and setting yet another world record time.

Michael Phelps’ next Olympic event will be the 100m Butterfly for which he is a -300 betting odds favorite to win. If so, Phelps will be awarded his seventh Gold Medal and would tie the all-time record help by Mark Spitz (7 Gold).

For seven days now, Michael Phelps has made the rest of the world look… invisible. It seems as though every time he steps on that block, he is racing against himself, against history.

James Goddard of Great Britain, who finished 6th behind Phelps in Friday’s 200m Individual Medley, told YahooSports: “We’re not chasing world records anymore… He is the world record, so really we’re just chasing him.” After claiming is 6th Gold medal, Phelps came back less than ½ hour later, and set the second fastest qualifying time for the Butterfly finals.

Hence, Saturday in Beijing, Michael Phelps will compete in the 100m Butterfly, which with a Gold Medal would instill his name in the history books alongside Spitz, for the most medals in Olympic history. Phelps already stands alone as the Olympian with the most Gold Medals in total, as last night his number reached 12 (6 in Athens, 6 in Beijing). If victorious in the 100m Fly, Phelps will be racing in Sunday’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay with a chance to break Spitz mark, and become the only Olympic athlete ever to win 8 Gold Medals... a mark that may never again be reached.

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