When he won the 200-meter freestyle Tuesday morning for his third gold in Beijing Olympic Games, US swimming legend Michael Phelps joined an elite collection of the winningest Olympians of all time.

The 23-year-old has so far claimed 9 gold medals at two Olympic Games, moving into a five-way tie with US swimmer Mark Spitz, US track and field star Carl Lewis, former Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi for the all-time career gold medal record.

"It is a pretty amazing accomplishment," Phelps told sportsnetwork.com.

"It's definitely an honor. I have met and spent time with Carl Lewis and exchanged words with Spitz, (so) it is pretty amazing," he said.

Australian swim coach Alan Thompson said the presence of Phelps "made a field of great swimmers look ordinary."

However, Phelps' nine gold medals may only be a stop on the way to his goal in Beijing-- passing Spitz's mark of seven gold medals in one Olympics.

If he goes on to break Spitz's Olympic records -- or even if he wins eight medals of any kind at these Games -- Phelps would be the all-time winningest medal winner among male Olympians with 16 medals.

He will also have more Olympic gold medals that anyone in history, which he figures to accomplish in Wednesday morning.

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2008)