3Michael Phelps now has gold number 3 under his belt, leaving 5 events to go for that record breaking 8 gold medals. His third vivtory and another World Record of his own falls to himself. This event was the 200-meter freestyle at the Beijing Olympics.

The American touched in 1 minute, 42.96 seconds, lowering his old mark of 1:43.86 set at last year's world championships in Australia.

He handily touched the wall nearly 2 seconds ahead of silver medalist Park Tae-Hwan of South Korea, who finished in 1:44.85. American Peter Vanderkaay earned the bronze in 1:45.14.

Phelps' ninth gold medal tied him with four others, including Mark Spitz and track star Carl Lewis, for most career golds.

He is 3-for-3, with three world records, in his attempt to break Spitz's 36-year-old record of seven golds in a single games. Spitz set world records in each of his races at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Phelps' other victories were in the 400 individual medley and 400 freestyle relay.

These are the 5 remaing events:

Barring the unforeseen mishap in the 200m butterfly, he's unlikely to face a challenge. Phelps is the World Champion by nearly two seconds, and the only person to get even that close didn't make the final for this Olympiad. American Gil Stovall, who swam the race of his life at Olympic Trials to qualify second behind Phelps, didn't swim anywhere near his best in the semifinals and finished ninth by .01 of a second.

Next will be the 4x200m free relay, where the U.S. has dominated since Athens, when they upset the Australians for gold. The U.S. men have continued to lower the world record every year, and with Phelps posting a 1:42.96 in the 200m free final, are the heavy favorites in Beijing.

Next, will be the 100m fly. This is the one race that could see an end to the quest for 8 and derail Phelps. Ryan Lochte, the spoiler, can match Phelps, but Lochte will have to swim the final of the 200m backstroke on the same night, less than 30 minutes earlier

Another not so easy victory will be against Ian Crocker, a potential problem in the 100m butterfly, where Crocker holds the world record. Phelps has stood up to Crocker when gold was on the line, at the 2004 Olympics and again at the 2007 Worlds.

Phelps' eighth race, the 4x100m medley relay, is another where the U.S. men are the clear favorites.

Should Michael Phelps hold 7 golds on Sunday morning in Beijing, Phelps will have tied Mark Spitz's record and will be going for his eighth in the medley relay.

It will be an event that even those who aren't avid sports fans will take the time to change the channel and witness history being made.