10m see Phelps make Olympic history

More than 10 million people watched swimmer Michael Phelps make Olympics history.

The US star became the most successful athlete in the history of the Games when he won gold in the men’s 200m freestyle relay, bringing his all-time tally of Olympic medals to a record 19, one more than Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina.

Overnight figures show a peak audience of 9.7 million watched the race on BBC1 last night with another 470,000 tuning in via the BBC’s live streaming service.

Baltimore swimmer Phelps has 15 gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

The 27-year-old still has three races to come in the Games and could finish his Olympic career with 22 medals.

The Games have been a ratings winner for the corporation, pulling in huge audiences.

More than 10 million people watched Rebecca Adlington’s bronze medal-winning performance for Team GB, while 7.6 million tuned in to see Lizzie Armitstead’s rain-sodden finish on The Mall as she became the first British athlete to make the medals table for London 2012.

The opening ceremony drew a massive 26.9 million viewers at its peak.