Michael Phelps has opened up about his somewhat underwhelming performance in the men's 400m individual medley this morning (July 28).
The 14-time gold medalist turned in a slower-than-expected time of 4:13.33 to finish eighth during the heats, but the 27-year-old was adamant that qualification is all that matters.
He told BBC Sport: "I didn't expect those guys to go that fast [but] a final spot is a final spot. "I was slower this morning than I was four years ago, so I guess that's probably the only difference.
"I think the only thing that matters is really getting a spot in [the final]. You can't win the gold medal from the morning."
Phelps's great rival and compatriot Ryan Lochte was the third-quickest during the heats with a time of 4:12.35, while Beijing silver medallist Laszlo Cseh of Hungary made a shock exit from the competition.
The men's 400m individual medley takes place at 7.30pm this evening.
Mark Langshaw
