Chase Kalisz, a Michael Phelps protégé, wins Team USA’s first gold medal at Tokyo Olympics
TOKYO — The first Summer Olympics without Michael Phelps in 25 years sped into a full gear on Saturday without an American medal. On Sunday morning, fittingly, a Phelps protege got Team USA on the board.
And he didn’t just win any medal. Chase Kalisz won gold.
Kalisz, who grew up nine years behind Phelps and 45 minutes away from him in Maryland, won the men’s 400-meter individual medley. Fellow American Jay Litherland took the silver.
These are the first of dozens of swimming medals that the U.S. will win over the next eight days.
Phelps, calling the race for NBC some 50 yards away, raised his arms into the air, and pumped a right fist.
"My heart is about to pop out of my chest," Phelps said on the broadcast. "I'm so stoked right now."
Kalisz swam a strong butterfly leg, and was second after the first 100. He held in second after the backstroke, then took the lead with his breaststroke, by a full body length and 2.47 seconds when he hit the wall before the final 100. And he held on with his freestyle, winning in a time of 4:09.42, 0.8 ahead of Litherland. Australia's Brendon Smith took the bronze.
Kalisz first met Phelps when he was 6 years old. They began training together when the former was a teen and the latter was already an Olympic gold medalist. Phelps broke the 400 IM world record in 2008, then later in his career shifted his focus away from swimming’s most grueling race.
Kalisz eventually stepped into his place, not as an Olympic legend, and not anywhere near Phelps’ world record that still stands, but as the top American in the event. He took silver in Rio five years ago, nearly chasing down Japan’s Kosuke Hagino for gold, but coming up just short.
A year later at world championships, Kalisz went 4:05.90, the third-fastest 400 IM time ever. He then battled through a painful, frustrating shoulder injury a couple years later, but recovered to make it to Tokyo for what he said will be his last Olympic 400 IM.
Along the way, he had Phelps in his corner, helping him with race strategy, giving him the occasional kick in the butt when he needed it.
“Michael really has been like an older brother figure to me in my life since a very, very young age,” Kalisz said at U.S. Olympic trials.
On Sunday, Phelps watched from the press tribune.
"He was a little brother to me and still is," Phelps said. "I love him to death."
The first of many U.S. swimming medals
Saturday marked the the first time in 49 years that the U.S. failed to win a medal on the Games' first full day. But on Sunday, swimming finals arrived and permanently altered the narratives. Over the next eight days, American swimmers will push Team USA to the top of the medal standings, and likely keep it there the rest of the way.
On Monday, Katie Ledecky, Torri Huske, Claire Curzan, Michael Andrew and another relay team could further bolster the total.
By Wednesday, Ledecky, Lilly King, Ryan Murphy and a few American teens could have the U.S. firmly ahead of the pack.
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