PHELPS GOES ABOVE, BEYOND AFTER COLLECTING FIFTH GOLD MEDAL, HE GIVES SPOT IN RELAY TO CROCKER.

Byline: Steve Dilbeck Staff Writer

ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps won in and out of the pool Friday night, leaving behind his mark as the dominant figure of these Olympics.

While the U.S. swimming team was adding four medals, including gold in the 50-meter freestyle by Gary Hall Jr., it was Phelps who dominated the Olympic Aquatic Center one final time.

Phelps won his fourth individual gold medal with a stirring comeback in the 100 butterfly over teammate Ian Crocker. He has five gold medals and a swimming record-tying seven overall.

He will almost certainly earn an eighth medal tonight, although not in the way anticipated.

By winning the 100 butterfly, he earned a spot on tonight's 400 medley relay. The U.S. has never lost this race in the Olympics and will be the heavy favorite.

But later Friday night, Phelps said he would give up his spot to Crocker, so the world-record holder could have a shot at a gold medal and redeem himself for a disastrous first leg in the 400 freestyle relay.

``I thought he needed another shot to prove himself,'' Phelps said. ``(Tonight) he'll get that shot and I have confidence he's going to step up and do it.''

Because Phelps swam in Friday morning's 400 medley relay prelim, he will still earn whatever medal the U.S. team takes tonight.

The 19-year-old's decision brought an unexpected end to his dominance of the swimming venue at the 2004 Games.

``I wanted to come here and win one gold medal,'' Phelps said. ``I did it the first night. From then on, I was just out there having fun.''

Mark Spitz is the only other swimmer to win four individual events at a single Olympics. With an eighth medal tonight, Phelps will tie Russian gymnast Alexandr Dityatin for most medals in a single Olympics.

Dityatin had three golds, four silvers and a bronze in the boycotted 1980 Olympics. Phelps has two bronze to go with his five gold medals.

``If someone had said four years ago when he took (fifth) in the 200 fly that this would happen, people would have bet their house and one child it wouldn't this year or in the future,'' U.S. coach Eddie Reese said.

But Phelps has been a complete sensation at the Athens Games and might have saved his most dramatic victory for last.

Crocker, who had been ill with a sore throat and swam a disastrous first led on the 400 freestyle relay Sunday, got the better start and took an early lead.

Phelps was only fifth at the turn and appeared too far back to catch Crocker with 25 meters left. But Phelps had a remarkable close, just nipping Crocker at the wall.

Both broke the Olympic record, but Phelps' time of 51.25 edged Crocker by .04 seconds.

``I didn't know Michael was that close,'' Crocker said.

Reese said Crocker's body was still actually ahead of Phelps at the wall, but Phelps' longer arms and perfectly-timed stroke enabled him to win the touch.

``He went out so fast, I just tried to stay relaxed and keep my energy,'' Phelps said. ``It seemed to work.''

Most everything has for Phelps here. Although in tonight's final night of swimming competition, he will adopt a new role.

``I'll be in the stands cheering as hard as I can,'' he said.

With four events left, the U.S. has clinched the overall swimming medal count. The U.S. has won 25 medals at the pool, 16 from the men, with 11 golds.

Australia is second with 12 medals, including five golds.

Hall won the men's eighth gold with the narrowest victory possible in the 50 freestyle, successfully defending the gold he won four years ago in Sydney.

Hall is a free spirit, outspoken and unlike any other U.S. swimmer. His flamboyant side - he once again walked to the starting blocks wearing his U.S. boxing robe - has endeared himself to some, distanced himself from many.

He's also 29, fairly old for a swimmer, and has a habit of disappearing from the swimming scene in non-Olympic years.

But this is his third Olympics, and no one turns it on better than Hall.

``He has that killer instinct,'' Reese said. ``He always wants to win.''

In the sprint 50, Hall flashed across the pool in 21.93 - just nipping Croatia's Duje Draganja by .01 seconds. South Africa's Roland Schoeman took the bronze. Both train with Hall at Cal.

Hall, who has diabetes and takes insulin shots several times a day, said he will continue swimming and probably try to make the 2008 Olympic team for China.

``Sure, why not?'' Hall said. ``They said I couldn't win in 1996 because I was too immature,'' he said. ``They said I couldn't win in 2000 because I had diabetes. They said I couldn't with this year because I was too old.

``Why not? Defiance is fun.''

The three 50-meter specialists also are close outside the pool.

``If I could pick anyone to beat me, it would be Gary,'' Draganja said.

Hall, already the oldest member of the U.S. swim team, has won nine medals during his three Olympics. It's the third-highest total in history for any U.S. male swimmer, trailing only Spitz and Matt Biondi, who each won 11.

American Diana Munz won a bronze in the women's 800 freestyle. Japan's Ai Shibata overtook France's Laure Manaudou in the final 25 meters to take the gold and snap a U.S. streak of having won this event in five consecutive Olympics.

Veteran Jenny Thompson qualified seventh in the women's 50 freestyle. Should she medal tonight, it would be the 11th of her career and tie Spitz and Biondi as the most decorated U.S. swimmers in Olympic history.

For now, swimming history focuses on Phelps, who believes he's aware of exactly what he has accomplished.

``It think so,'' he said. ``I've been gearing up for this for the past four years. It's good to look back on it. Right now I'm seven medals ahead of where I was four years ago.''

Steve Dilbeck, [phone]

stephen.dilbeck(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Michael Phelps strikes a familiar pose after winning the 100 butterfly for his fifth gold medal and seventh overall.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

(2 -- color) Gary Hall, the oldest swimmer on the U.S. team, plays to the crowd before his victory in the 50-meter freestyle.

Luca Bruno/Associated Press