Michael Phelps of the United States of America kisses his medal during the awarding ceremony for the men's 200m butterfly final of swimming at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 9, 2016. Michael Phelps won the gold medal with 1 minute 53.36 seconds. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
Michael Phelps added another two titles to his unrivalled Olympic record on Tuesday as the USA leapt to the top of the gold medal table in Rio.
Phelps claimed gold in the men's 200m butterfly before helping the USA to victory in the 4x200m freestyle relay final at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
At the end of Tuesday night's swimming session, the USA led the Rio 2016 gold medal tally with nine, one ahead of China.
Phelps has now netted three gold medals at these Games - winning each of the events he has entered. Overall, he has racked up 25 Olympic medals, 21 of them gold.
In the relay final, Phelps joined Conor Dwyer, Ryan Lochte and Townley Haas to hit the wall in 7 minutes 0.66 seconds.
Britain's Stephen Milne, Duncan Scott, Dan Wallace and James Guy took silver, 2.47sec behind the USA, and Japan's Kosuke Hagino, Naito Ehara, Yuki Kobori and Takeshi Matsuda pocketed bronze, 2.84sec further back.
Phelps swum the final leg of the race to loud cheers from the packed arena.
Less than an hour earlier, the 31-year-old American won the 200m butterfly, clocking 1:53.36 to beat Japan's Masato Sakai by just four hundredths of second.
Hungary's Tamas Kenderesi took bronze, 0.26 seconds further back.
South Africa's Chad le Clos, who beat Phelps for the gold medal in this event at the London 2012 Games, finished fourth.
Phelps, who was part of the USA's 4x100m freestyle relay team on Sunday, has reduced his competition schedule in Rio as he focuses on butterfly and medley events.
He is aiming to become only the third athlete to win gold in the same event at four consecutive Olympics, joining Al Oerter (discuss) and Carl Lewis (long jump).
Phelps could perform the feat in both the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hungary's Katinka Hosszu won her third gold medal of the Rio Olympics, cruising to victory in the women's 200m individual medley.
The 27-year-old touched the wall in an Olympic record time of 2:06.58, three tenths of a second ahead of Britain's Siobhan-Marie O'Connor at the at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
The USA's Maya Dirado took bronze in 2:08.79.
Hosszu also won gold in the 100m backstroke on Monday and the 400m individual medley on Sunday.
Teenage US swimmer Katie Ledecky won her second gold medal of the Games by storming to victory in the women's 200m freestyle final.
The 19-year-old touched the wall in 1 minute 53.73 seconds, 0.35sec ahead of second-placed Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, with Australia's Emma McKeon third in 1:54.92.
"It was a really tough race but a lot of fun," Ledecky said. "It's amazing to get another medal. Once I hit the water I was on auto-control. I got in the lead and wasn't about to let it go."
On Sunday Ledecky set a new world record en route to the gold medal in the women's 400m freestyle.
Tuesday's victory was her third Olympic gold medal, having also won the 800m final at the London 2012 Games.
Meanwhile, Madeline Grooves qualified fastest for the women's 200m butterfly final, scheduled for Wednesday night, by clocking 2:06.6 in the semifinals. Spain's Mireia Belmonte was second quickets and China's Zhou Yilin third.
Japan's Ippel Watanabe was fastest in the men's 200m breaststroke semifinals in an Olympic record of 2:07.22. Andrew Willis of Britain was next and the USA's Josh Prenot completed the top three.
