Phelps continues run to record gold haul at Beijing Olympics

BEIJING - Look out, Mark Spitz. Get the cheque ready, Speedo. Michael Phelps is closing in - quickly, of course.

Phelps made it six gold medals in six races, each in world record time, by taking the 200-metre individual medley Friday at the Beijing Olympics.

If he wins either of his last two races, he'll join Spitz as the only Olympians to win seven golds at one Summer Games and cash a US$1-million bonus from his sponsor.

Should he win both, Phelps will stand alone as the greatest Olympic champ for both a single Games and for his career. This was his 12th gold overall, pulling him farther from Spitz and three others with nine. At only 23, he could end up doubling the longstanding career mark at London in 2012. Who would bet against him after this week?

Phelps dominated right from the start of the 200-metre individual medley and won in one minute 54.23 seconds. He knocked off his own mark of 1:54.80 set at last month's U.S. trials, his sixth world record of the Games.

Phelps returned right after the medal ceremony for the 100 butterfly semifinal, where he qualified second-fastest and set himself to tie Spitz's total in the final on Saturday. He could break the record if the heavily favoured U.S. wins the 4x100-metre medley relay on Sunday.

"There wasn't much time," Phelps said, "but I think there's going to be a lot of time for me to rest over the next 18 hours or so, and I'll be able to be ready for tomorrow morning's 100."

Rebecca Soni of the U.S., set a world record in the 200 breaststroke. Leisel Jones of Australia was out front over the first 100, but Soni came on strong at the end, finishing a full body length ahead of the Australian in 2:20.22 to beat Jones' mark of 2:20.54, set two 2 1/2 years ago in Melbourne.

Britta Steffen of Germany won the 100 freestyle, edging Libby Trickett of Australia by four-hundredths of a second.

Nastia Liukin edged U.S. teammate Shawn Johnson for the all-around gold in women's gymnastics and Yang Yilin of China took the bronze.

Athletics cranked up at the Bird's Nest, with some pretty heady qualifying races - the men's 100 metres.

Tyson Gay showed no ill effects from a lingering hamstring strain, easily qualifying for the quarter-final along with Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell.

"It feels good," Gay said. "My body is woke up."

Gay's reassuring performance kept the Games on track for a defining three-way battle for gold in the sport's marquee event on Saturday.

Bolt won his heat in 10.20, and Powell coasted into the quarter-final in 10.16.

The Games were hit by several off-field controversies Friday. A two-time North Korean medallist in shooting and a Vietnamese gymnast both failed doping tests and were kicked out of the Games after testing positive for banned substances.

Shooter Kim Jong Su was stripped of his silver medal Friday in the 50-metre pistol and bronze in the 10-metre air pistol. Gymnast Thi Ngan Thuong Do finished in 82nd and last place in the women's floor exercises. Spanish cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno was kicked out of the Games on Monday after testing positive for EPO.

A Swedish wrestler who dropped his bronze medal in disgust could face sanctions from the IOC, which has opened a disciplinary investigation into the actions of Ara Abrahamian. He lost to gold medallist Andrea Minguzzi of Italy in the semifinal of the men's 84-kilogram Greco-Roman event.

During the medal ceremony, Abrahamian took the bronze from around his neck and, in disgust, dropped it on the mat as he walked away.

Abrahamian had to be restrained from going after the matside officials following his loss to Minguzzi and, storming away from the mixed zone where interviews are conducted, slammed a door.

Pavol and Peter Hochschorner finished first in double canoe slalom, making it three straight Olympics that the brothers from Slovakia have won gold. Elena Kaliska of Slovakia won the women's single kayak slalom by nearly 15 seconds, successfully defending her gold from Athens.

Cao Lei won China's seventh weightlifting gold medal and smashed three Olympic records in the women's 75-kg division. Artur Ayvazian of Ukraine won gold in the men's 50-metre prone rifle, holding off Matt Emmons of the U.S., in the final round.

Guo Jingjing kept China on its path toward a sweep of all eight diving gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, leading after the women's three-metre springboard preliminaries Friday. The final is Sunday.

The U.S. women's softball team extended its winning streak to 18 with an 8-1 victory over Canada. China rallied to beat Taiwan 8-7 in 12 innings in the baseball tournament.

Top-seeded Xie Xingfang and defending champion Zhang Ning both advanced to the women's singles badminton final, assuring China the gold and silver medals.