BEIJING • That is three down, five to go.

Another final for Michael Phelps, another world record.

Clockwork. Tick. Tick.

What Phelps is doing to the swimming world is nothing short of phenomenal.

No athlete is ever bigger than the sport that made him. It’s impossible. But Phelps is as close to impossible as any of us has seen.Imagine golfing great Tiger Woods not only winning every major tournament but setting a record while doing so. Phelps has crushed the competition at the Masters. He won the U.S. Open in dramatic — yet record-breaking — fashion. He made a mockery of his opponents in the British. Only problem with this comparison is there aren’t enough golf majors to show Phelps’ dominance.

Two races eluded Phelps four years ago at the Athens Olympics.

One was the 400-meter freestyle relay.

Phelps and his teammates took care of that in theatrical fashion Monday. Buttressed by a phenomenal anchoring leg from Jason Lezak, the American team crushed the event’s world record by almost 4 seconds. It gave Phelps his second gold of the Games.

Swimming aficionados proclaimed the 400-meter relay would be Phelps’ toughest challenge in his attempt to win eight gold medals at one Olympics.

They might have been right.

Phelps dominated the 200-meter freestyle Tuesday. Four years ago, he came in third. He admitted it inspired his training.

That inspiration was more lucid than ever after the 50-meter mark when Phelps had almost a half-second lead. It only increased from there — 1.29 seconds after 100 meters; 1.77 seconds after 150 meters and he won the event by 1.89 seconds over South Korea’s Tae-Hwan Park. Bronze medalist Peter Vanderkaay of the U.S. finished 2.18 seconds behind Phelps.

More than opponent, Phelps competes against Phelps.

“I wanted to try to and get out into open water, and I was in the outside lane so it was kind of difficult for the others to see me,” he said. “I just wanted to get out there and try to hold on. I knew Tae-Hwan was going to have a good last 50 meters, so I tried to start as far ahead as I could in the first 100 to 150.”

Finishing the race, the last 25 meters or so, Phelps got a standing ovation from more than half the crowd, many of them not Americans. It was Phelps’ ninth Olympic gold, tying him with fellow swimming great Mark Spitz and with former track and field star Carl Lewis.

Greatness knows no nationality.

“Phelps swam so fast,” Park said. “…It is my honor to compete with him.”

Let us not forget Phelps’ second race of the day, which, from a physical standpoint, might have been more impressive than the first given that Phelps already had gone all out during the first race.

It was the 200-meter butterfly semifinals. Phelps had to swim well to qualify for the finals. There was an understanding that he’d probably coast a bit, saving energy for Wednesday’s final.

And Phelps did coast. But coasting to somebody of Phelps’ athleticism is akin to a heart attack-inducing pace for the rest of us. Phelps coasted in at 1:53.70 good enough to set a new Olympic record.

Tick. Tick.

Phelps is steady like that. Sure, there is excitement, such as the emotion emitted after the 400-meter relay. But most of the time, Phelps is steady.

He won the 200-meter freestyle, set a new world record while doing it and lazily held up his index finger, signaling No. 1. There was no emphatic scream.

He set a new Olympic record in the 200-meter butterfly semifinals and simply smiled. No muscle flexing. Again, no screaming.Just another day.

“I’m almost halfway there,” Phelps said.

Tick. Tick.

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Columnist Milo Bryant can be reached at 636-0252 or milo.bryant@gazettedev.gazette.com

American Michael Phelps celebrated his new world record in the 200-meter freestyle final. He has won three gold medals in Beijing and has collected nine gold medals in his Olympic career, tying the mark also held by former swimming great Mark Spitz, trac Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS