ATHENS – Michael Phelps had already made his point in the pool, over and over and over and over and over.

He’d already collected five gold medals, the latest thanks to a remarkable finish in the 100-meter butterfly last night in which he rallied from fifth place at the turn to overtake his teammate and bitter rival, Ian Crocker, by exactly four-hundredths of a second.

So he’d already established his dominance in the pool.

But as a parting flourish, he added a dash of sportsmanship to a swim meet he has owned from its very first hour.

After accepting his seventh medal overall, Phelps announced he would sit out today’s semifinal and final heats of the 400-meter medley relay, handing over his slot as the butterfly specialist to Crocker.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Phelps said. “I think this gives the team the best chance to win the gold medal, and to me that was the most important thing. I’ll be up in the stands, rooting like crazy for them.”

Phelps is still assured of winning a medal if the U.S. team wins one tonight, since he did swim in the qualifying heat yesterday, so he is still an odds-on favorite to win his eighth medal, which would tie former Russian gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin’s 1980 record for most medals one in one Olympiad.

He has already tied Mark Spitz’ record of four individual golds in one Games.

The details of the gesture didn’t matter to Crocker, who was overwhelmed by Phelps’ willingness to share the spotlight.

“It’s a huge gift that is honestly a little difficult to accept,” said a stunned Crocker, who was informed of the decision as he left the doping control center. “It makes me want to go out an tear up the pool [today], I know that. Really, I’m speechless. Just thinking about it makes me tear up a little.”

Crocker figured his Olympics were over when he couldn’t hold off Phelps, who for a year has been gunning for his teammate after Crocker defeated him at last year’s World Championships.

U.S. coach Eddie Reese had already said the winner of the race would earn the butterfly leg of the relay.

And Crocker was fine with that.

“If you’re asking me if I’ll put Michael’s picture on my wall,” he laughed, referring to Phelps’ famous self-motivating tool, “I’m not going to do that.”

It looked like Crocker’s race to lose, as he hit the 50-meter wall under his world-record pace. Phelps, meanwhile, hit the water poorly and was lagging well behind at the turn, and even with 35 meters to go trailed Crocker by about half a body length, a seemingly insurmountable distance.

But both Americans reached for the wall simultaneously, but Phelps’ finger hit first, freezing the clock at 51.25 seconds.

“I guess that shows why it’s important to have such a big torso,” Phelps quipped, as he passed through the media mixed zone right after the race.

Later, he would show off the value of an extra-large heart, too.

Phelps is sensitive to teammates who have been overshadowed by his amazing accomplishments leading up to these games.

His gesture wasn’t lost on the International Olympic Committee.

“He’s a great champion,” said IOC president Jacques Rogge, who watched Phelps’ victory from a front-row seat at the Aquatic Center.

“Definitely, he is going to be one of the icons of the Games.”