OLYMPIC TRIALS
Phelps sets another world record
OMAHA, Neb. — Michael Phelps set another world record. No surprise there.
Dara Torres is going back to the Olympics. Who would’ve believed it?
Fresh off another endorsement from Mark Spitz, the iconic star he’ll try to better in Beijing, Phelps set another 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 record holder 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 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.
Torres climbed from the water with a big smile and gave her coach, Michael Lohberg, a long hug. She broke down in tears while “American Woman” blared from the speakers.
“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.
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