RIO DE JANEIRO _ Michael Phelps advanced to the 200-meter individual medley semifinal Wednesday, about 12 hours after winning his third gold medal at these Olympics.
Phelps, who expects to retire after the Games, admitted to some fatigue at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium following a historic night.
"I guess I have been able to put my body through things like this over the years, and hopefully I can keep it rolling one last time," he said.
On Tuesday, Phelps captured gold in the 200-meter butterfly, then anchored the Americans' winning 800-meter freestyle relay about 70 minutes later.
The two gold medals _ combined with the one he won Sunday in the 400-meter freestyle relay _ give him 25 career Olympic medals, 21 gold. No Olympian has ever won more medals.
Phelps said he plans on "leaving everything in the pool one last time."
Longtime rival Ryan Lochte recorded the top preliminary time in the event. He and Phelps will swim next to each other in lanes four and five later Wednesday.
This is the only individual event for Lochte, who has 12 Olympic medals of his own.
