Phelps makes splash at US meet, sends Rio message
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OLYMPIC swim legend Michael Phelps completed an epic effort at the US national championships on Monday, having served notice he has the speed and skill to star at the 2016 Olympics.
Phelps only finished fifth in Monday’s 200-meter breaststroke final in 2 minutes, 11.30 seconds, well off winner Craig Benson’s winning time of 2:09.68.
But Phelps seldom swims the event and was entered more as a challenge rather than with a victory in mind, having won three events in the prior three days and beaten the winning time at the world championships in Kazan, Russia, in each.
“I’m in a great place, a place where I haven’t been in a long time, a place where I have confidence,” Phelps said. “I’m going into an Olympic year having something to build on and that hasn’t happened in a while, probably since 2007.”
Phelps was supposed to be competing at the worlds but a drink driving incident led to him being dropped from the US team, instead having to be content with vying for national titles as the US meet being staged at the same time as the worlds.
Phelps met his self-imposed goal in the 200 breaststroke by breaking his former North Baltimore Aquatic Club record of 2:12.1. “That’s what I wanted to beat. I’ll take a 2:11.3 any day of the week. I was just spinning coming in. I had no legs.”
Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, still showed he can be a threat in certain events at the Rio de Janeiro Games next year.
The 18-time Olympic champion won the 200 individual medley on Sunday in 1:54.75, faster than the 1:55.81 compatriot Ryan Lochte produced in winning the world title in Russia. He earlier won the 100 and 200 butterfly in times that would have beaten the worlds top times as well.
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