Phelps leaving the pool after equalling Spitz's record

(18 Aug 2008) True Date Created = 17/08/2008 1. Various rushes of athletes and officials, followed by American Michael Phelps (wearing cap backwards), getting onto bus to leave stadium 2. Various of Phelps on bus looking at mobile phone 3. Various of athletes leaving stadium 4. High shot of Phelps getting onto bus ++REPETITION OF PART OF SHOT 1++ 5. Wide of crowd alongside bus 6. Various of Phelps on bus looking at mobile phone ++PARTLY A REPETITION OF SHOT 2++ 7. Bus leaving STORYLINE: Michael Phelps swam into history with a magnificent finish Saturday, tying Mark Spitz with his seventh Olympic gold medal by the narrowest of margins in the 100-metre butterfly. He got his hands on the wall a hundredth of a second ahead of Milorad Cavic of Serbia - a finish so close the Serbs filed a protest and swimming's governing body had to review the tape down to the 10-thousandth of a second. Phelps' time was 50.58 seconds, the only time in these Olympics that he won an event without breaking the world record. AP Television footage showed Phelps and other competitors in the 100-metre butterfly event getting onto a bus to leave the swimming venue. The 23-year-old occasionally flashed a smile at the assembled media and crowd, between checking his mobile phone. Phelps has now pulled even with the greatest of Olympic records, matching Spitz's performance in the 1972 Munich Games. Call this one the Great Haul of China - and it's not done yet. Phelps will return on Sunday to swim in his final event of these games, taking the butterfly leg of the 4x100 medley relay. The Americans will be heavily favoured to give him his eighth gold, leaving Spitz behind. Phelps pounded his fist in the water and let out a scream after the astonishing finish. The crowd at the Water Cube gasped - it looked as though Cavic had won - then roared when the "1" popped up beside the American's name. Cavic's time was 50.59. The Serb delegation filed a protest, but conceded that Phelps won after reviewing the tape provided by FINA, swimming's governing body. A USA Swimming spokeswoman said the tape was slowed to one frame every 10-thousandth of a second to make sure Phelps actually touched first. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...