After all the hype, watching Michael Phelps win his sixth gold medal in Beijing was somewhat of a letdown - having become the most decorated athlete in Olympic history earlier this week, Phelps makes his historical accomplishments look routine.

He matched his gold medal haul from Athens by winning the 200m medley on August 15 and surely no one can any longer doubt that, barring some giant mishap, he will win the last two finals he is scheduled to swim in - the 100m butterfly on August 16 and the 4x100m medley relay a day later - to beat Mark Spitz' landmark seven golds won a single Olympiad.

Phelps' domination in Beijing has been so overwhelming thus far that the only question that remains is whether he will set new world records in those races, as he has done so far in every final.

The individual medley final was his 14th race at the Olympics and the sight of a panting Phelps was the first sign of fatigue he has shown in a week. "The next two races are pretty important," Phelps said, as quoted by the Associated Press. "I have to conserve as much physical and emotional energy as I can."

As soon as he received his medal, it was time to jump back into the pool - this time for the 100m butterfly semi-final - the gold metal stuffed into the pocket of his warm-up jacket. "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."

He won the race, but was slightly slower than Serbia's Milorad Cavic, the winner of the other semi-final. World record-holder Ian Crocker is another threat to Phelps' quest to win number seven.

"It's never a relief," Phelps said. "Tomorrow is going to be a tough race. For me to be a player in that race, I have to be closer at the 50 [meter mark]. If I'm not, then it will be tough. I was over a body length behind at the 50 in the prelims and came up a bit short, so I have to be there."

Anything short of Phelps topping the podium would mark the biggest shock of the Olympics so far, yet after watching the apparent ease with which opponents have been dispatched over the previous week, an upset is unthinkable.

Phelps' place as one of the greats in the Olympic pantheon is already secure. The greatest ever, though? Given the way he is dominating swimming, one can be excused for thinking that the best is yet to come, even if at the last count, he already has more medals than all but five countries in Beijing.