BEIJING (AP) — Under other circumstances, Nastia Liukin would’ve been the star of the Olympics for the U.S. delegation today. After all, she was crowned the all-around champion of women’s gymnastics and has a heck of a backstory about overcoming the exact obstacle that stopped her father 20 years ago.

Alas, her performance came on the same day Michael Phelps was in action.

Phelps ratcheted up the buzz surrounding him to yet another level by winning his sixth gold medal in as many tries, this time the 200-meter individual medley. The bigger news is that he’s now on the cusp of catching Mark Spitz for the most medals ever won at a single Olympics, and still has a chance to bump the record to eight.

Phelps is in the midst of the greatest Olympics anyone has ever had. He’s already branded himself the greatest Olympian by shattering the record for most career golds; this was his 12th, further separating him from Spitz and three others, who each have nine.

Watch Phelps during the award ceremony and you can tell it never gets old. But his pursuit is a grind. After collecting his latest prize, he was in such a rush to get to a preliminary swim for the 100 butterfly that he shoved the medal into a pocket of his warmup jacket.

“The next two races are pretty important,” said Phelps, who matched his gold total won in Athens. “I have to conserve as much physical and emotional energy as I can.”

The finals for the 100 butterfly — his signature stroke — is Saturday. His last event is the 400 medley relay Sunday. Then, immortality.

Liukin’s victory likely will inspire a generation of youngsters to roll faster, tumble harder and fly higher, just like Mary Lou Retton did with her all-around win in 1984 and Carly Patterson did four years ago.

The difference this time is that Americans finished 1-2, with reigning world champion Shawn Johnson getting silver.

“There is nothing bigger or greater than this,” Liukin said.