Golden Phelps sets world mark in 400 IM - 2008 Olympics - SI.com

Michael Phelps got one of his toughest races out of the way, and it couldn't have been any easier.

With President Bush cheering him on, Phelps dominated his first event of the Beijing Olympics on Sunday morning, crushing his own world record and all hopes of his challengers with a mark of 4 minutes, 3.84 seconds in the 400-meter individual medley.