Another record for Phelps; Torres qualifies for fifth Games

Torres qualifies for fifth Games; Peirsol ties mark

By Paul Newberry, Associated Press

Friday, July 4, 2008

Photo by Nati Harnik/Associated Press

Michael Phelps celebrates his victory with a world record time of 1:54.80 in the men's 200-meter individual medley final at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha on Friday.

Michael Phelps set another world record. No surprise there.

Dara Torres is going back to the Olympics. Who would've believed it?

Phelps set a new world record to win the 200-meter individual medley at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials Friday night.

Phelps claimed his fourth individual victory of the trials in 1 minute, 54.80 seconds, beating the mark of 1:54.98 he set while winning seven events at last year's world championships in Australia.

It was the second world record of the meet for Phelps, who also swam faster than anyone in history to win the 400 IM. His only piece of unfinished business: the 100 butterfly and an expected showdown with world recordholder Ian Crocker.

Phelps must finish first or second in that event to ensure he swims eight events at the Olympics. Then he'll need to win them all to beat Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Spitz was at the Qwest Center to watch Phelps make another run at the Holy Grail of Olympic records and believes he's got a good chance to do it.

"It's time for someone else to take the baton of responsibility," Spitz said. "Thirty-six years is a long time."

The 41-year-old Torres completed her improbable Olympic comeback, making the U.S. team for the fifth time by winning the 100 freestyle.

Wearing goggles older than some of her competitors, Torres got off to a blazing start and guarded her lead on the furious return lap to win in 54.78. Cheering her on in the stands was her 2-year-old daughter, Tessa.

Torres, who made her Olympic debut at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, has twice retired from competitive swimming. A nine-time medalist, she already was the first U.S. swimmer to make four Olympic teams.

Now, make it five.

"I'm ecstatic. I can't believe it," Torres said. "It's sort of bittersweet for me because I've made my fifth Olympic team, but I'm going to be away from my daughter for a month and that's really hard emotionally. But I'm happy to be going to Beijing."

Aaron Peirsol gained a measure of revenge for his upset loss at the 2007 world championships, tying the world record in the 200 backstroke and beating nemesis Ryan Lochte.

The two were stroke for stroke the whole race, but Peirsol lunged to the wall just ahead of Lochte to win in 1:54.32, equaling the mark set by Lochte at the last worlds. This time, the laid-back Floridian was two-hundredths of a second slower, leaving him in second place at 1:54.34.

"We almost tied there," Peirsol said. "It's weird sharing it, but I have no problems with that."

Lochte had a pair of runner-up finishes on a grueling night, returning about 28 minutes after his loss to Peirsol to finish second to Phelps in the IM.

Phelps also raced twice Friday night. He followed his world record by posting the fastest semifinal time in the 100 butterfly at 51.10. Crocker was second at 51.52.

Amanda Beard became a four-time member of the U.S. team by finishing second to runaway winner Rebecca Soni in the 200 breaststroke.

"I never get used to this," Beard said. "I'm pumped."

Soni touched far ahead of the field in 2:22.60 to make her first Olympic squad - just off Beard's American record of 2:22.44 set at the 2004 trials.

"Rebecca's crazy. She's super fast," Beard said. "Now I get to train with her until the Olympics and hopefully I can get down and we can get gold and silver in Beijing."

Beard, who first competed at the 1996 Atlanta Games and won the 200 breast at the last Olympics, took a long layoff after Athens. She looked to be a long shot but managed to finish second in 2:25.13, holding off Caitlin Leverenz by less than a second.

RESULTS

At Qwest Center, Omaha

(Finals only, all distances in meters)

Men

200 backstroke: 1. Aaron Peirsol, Irvine, Calif., 1:54.32 (ties world record, previous 1:54.32, Ryan Lochte, United States, March 30, 2007); 2. Ryan Lochte, Daytona Beach, Fla., 1:54.34; 3. Tyler Clary, Riverside, Calif., 1:57.35; 4. Rexford Tullius, Port Orange, Fla., 1:57.73; 5. Nick Thoman, Cincinnati, 1:58.17; 6. Chris DeJong, Holland, Mich., 1:58.21; 7. Patrick Schirk, Pottstown, Pa., 1:58.39; 8. Cory Chitwood, Union, Ky., 1:59.88.

200 individual medley: 1, Michael Phelps, Baltimore, 1:54.80 (world record, previous 1:54.98, Michael Phelps, United States, March 29, 2007); 2. Ryan Lochte, Daytona Beach, Fla., 1:55.22; 3. Eric Shanteau, Lilburn, Ga., 1:58.15; 4. Tim Liebhold, Chapel Hill, N.C., 2:00.06; 5. Alex Vanderkaay, Rochester, Mich., 2:00.10; 6. Robert Margalis, Clearwater, Fla., 2:00.77; 6. Dan Madwed, Stamford, Conn., 2:00.77; 8. T P Patrick, Chesterfield, Mo., 2:01.52.

Women

100 freestyle: 1. Dara Torres, Los Angeles, 53.78; 2. Natalie Coughlin, Lafayette, Calif., 53.83; 3. Lacey Nymeyer, Tucson, 54.02; 4. Jessica Hardy, Long Beach, Calif., 54.62; 5. Emily Silver, Bainbridge Island, Wash., 54.91; 6. Julia Smit, Mount Sinai, N.Y., 54.99; 7. Kara Lynn Joyce, Athens, Ga., 55.02; 8. Amanda Weir, Lawrenceville, Ga., 55.14.

200 breaststroke: 1. Rebecca Soni, Plainsboro, N.J., 2:22.60; 2. Amanda Beard, Irvine, Calif., 2:25.13; 3. Caitlin Leverenz, Tucson, 2:25.98; 4. Keri Hehn, Fargo, N.D., 2:26.89; 5. Megan Jendrick, Tacoma, Wash., 2:27.85; 6. Ariana Kukors, Auburn, Wash., 2:28.55; 7. Elle Weberg, Bloomington, Minn., 2:28.67; 8. Laura Sogar, Exeter, R.I., 2:30.05.