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You can’t blame Michael Phelps’ mom Debbie for thinking he had this one.

The best swimmer ever held a half body-length lead in the final 15 meters of Tuesday’s 200-meter butterfly, a race he hadn’t lost in a major competition since 2001, when he obliterated the world record he still holds.

Even down to the final milliseconds, Phelps appeared to have the edge over South Africa’s Chad le Clos, but the latter timed his “touch” of the wall perfectly to stun Michael – and Debbie, who momentarily celebrated.

Watch her reaction as she learns her boy won silver, not gold …

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Everyone watching at the London Aquatic Center and at home on TV did pretty much the same thing, of course, just without TV cameras on us.

Supportive parent that she is, Debbie Phelps clapped for Michael’s silver anyway, despite her shock and disappointment. It was a nice moment.

One he somewhat made up for later in the day as well.

Despite being a bit off his otherworldly pace from 2008, Phelps broke the all-time Olympic medal record by helping the U.S. score another relay victory.