ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps doesn't mind making history while sitting in the stands.

The man who dominated the attention at the Olympic pool gave up a coveted spot on the 400-meter medley relay team to Ian Crocker.

Call it a gift from a teammate.

Phelps equaled Mark Spitz's record of four individual swimming gold medals Friday night by holding off Crocker in a thrilling finish of the 100-meter butterfly.

"He's on fire at this meet," Crocker said. "He's done some amazing things."

None more so than Phelps' decision to give up the relay spot to the runner-up.

"I'm willing to give him a chance and hopefully we can win," said Phelps, 19, of Baltimore. "I will be in the stands cheering as hard as I can for the U.S. team."

"I'm speechless," Crocker said of Phelps' gesture. "It's a huge gift, but difficult to accept. It makes me want to just go out there and tear up the pool."

Phelps won five gold medals and two bronzes before climbing out of the pool for good. He would earn a record-tying eighth medal if the Americans finish in the top three of the relay Saturday night: everyone who participates on a medal-winning relay team - whether it's the preliminaries or a final - is rewarded.

"I'm just grateful to have an opportunity like this," he said. "It's an honor and definitely something that's special."

Phelps failed to break Spitz's record of seven gold medals from the 1972 Munich Games. But he put on a spectacular show nearly every night, capping his meet with the narrow win over Crocker.

"He's a great champion," said International Olympic Committee 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."

Phelps' 17th race in seven days may have been his best yet.

He beat Crocker in the 100 fly by four-hundredths of a second in an Olympic record of 51.25 seconds. Andriy Serdinov of Ukraine took the bronze in 51.36.

"I knew the race was going to come down to the last few inches," said Crocker, the world record-holder and current world champion. "I didn't see Michael come by me, but I knew he was going to be there."

Crocker got off the starting block quickly and made the turn under world-record pace, about a half-body length ahead of Phelps in fifth place.

But Phelps' long arms churned furiously, pulling up on Crocker's shoulder with 20 meters to go and the crowd cheering wildly.

Phelps' hand hit the wall first. Barely.

If the Americans win a medal, Phelps would tie Soviet gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin's record of eight medals in one Olympics at the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games.

"It's tough to give up the relay. It really is," Phelps said. "But Ian is one of the greatest relay swimmers in the world."

In the 400 free relay last Sunday, Crocker swam a dismal opening leg that put the Americans in a hole, and they settled for bronze. He had been sick with a sore throat.

Giving Crocker a second chance is "the right thing to do," Phelps said.

Spitz watched Phelps' final race in Athens from the stands. As Phelps paraded around the deck with his latest gold medal, he spotted Spitz holding up four fingers.

"Just to be mentioned in the same sentence with him is unbelievable," Phelps said.

The United States earned another gold medal Friday night in the 50 free, with 29-year-old Gary Hall Jr. defending the title he shared with fellow American Anthony Ervin in Sydney four years ago.

It was an especially sweet victory for the irreverent Hall, who was upset about being left off a couple of U.S. relay teams. He won in 21.93 - beating Croatia's Duje Draganja by one-hundredth of a second for his 10th career medal.

Roland Schoeman of South Africa, a close friend of Hall's, took the bronze in 22.02. Jason Lezak of Irvine, Calif., was fifth in 22.11.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe won her third medal of the games, capturing gold in the 200 backstroke. She led all the way and finished in 2:09.19. Russia's Stanislava Komarova took silver in 2:09.72, and the bronze went to Reiko Nakamura of Japan in 2:09.88.

Margaret Hoelzer of Huntsville, Ala., finished fifth.

The United States' dominance in the women's 800 freestyle ended when Ai Shibata of Japan won gold in 8:25.54. Laure Manaudou of France claimed silver in 8:24.96.

Diana Munz of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, earned bronze in 8:26.61.

Americans had won the event in five consecutive Olympics.

"It's a little disappointing we weren't on the top stand," Munz said. "It's kind of sad."