That was the operative question after the world’s most versatile swimmer handled the best this continent could offer in the 200-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic team trials last night.
Phelps won despite a start that his coach termed “ridiculous.” He didn’t post any of his precious personal bests, but tactics were more important than time in a 44-minute span that concluded with the semifinals of the 200 butterfly.
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Phelps has seven races down and 10 to go as his quest for Olympic history nears the midway point of this qualifying meet.
The 200 freestyle was the second event among six he will swim here. He’s the event’s American record holder, but on paper and in the thought process that says Phelps will only enter events in Athens in which he has a realistic shot at a gold medal, it was probably the weakest in his trials repertoire.
Though he will be the hammer on the American 800 relay team in Greece, he and North Baltimore Aquatic Club coach Bob Bowman must decide if the 200 freestyle will be on his Olympic program.
Is he capable of beating reigning Olympic champ Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands and Thorpe, who was the sport’s premier star until the teenager from Rodgers Forge came along?
Phelps won last night in 1 minute, 46.27 seconds, just off his American record of 1:45.99. Thorpe owns the world record, 1:44.06. He had gone nearly four years without a loss at the distance until he was beaten Tuesday in a pedestrian 1:49.27 by countryman Grant Hackett, who happens to be one of Phelps’ best friends in the business.
Thorpe, who has repeatedly proclaimed that Phelps is on a mission impossible, was to get another go at Hackett today.
“We have to see how things play out,” Phelps said. “Thorpe has been extremely dominant over the last four years. It would definitely be a challenge, between him and van den Hoogenband and the rest of the world. I love to race the best and the fastest of all time.”
Phelps has been on an upward curve during which he notched the 12th world record of his career Wednesday, but advancement means more than records at this stage. The magnitude of what he is attempting requires him to forget about the clock, put the brakes on and save some for the next two days, when he will race eight times.
A crowd of 9,411 was pumped by a live broadcast on NBC, the first in prime time for the network at the swimming trials. Phelps was in the first of four straight finals that included a popular second-place finish in the 100 backstroke for Lenny Krayzelburg, a major influence who has come back from multiple shoulder surgeries. Aaron Piersol won the event.
Amid all that emotion, Phelps seemed sleepy at the start of the 200 freestyle, as he was the last off the blocks and in the water.
“I didn’t get off the blocks very well,” Phelps said. “I don’t know what happened. I’m not going to use that as an excuse, but it’s something to work on.”
Phelps recovered nicely and took control in the third 50 when he overtook the reckless pace of Nate Dusing of Longhorn Aquatics. Down the stretch, Phelps pulled away only slightly from Klete Keller of Club Wolverine, which will become Phelps’ affiliation when he sets up residence in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the fall.
He gained an extra minute of rest when his 200 butterfly semifinal was delayed while fellow Baltimorean Melissa Stark interviewed 100 breaststroke winner Amanda Beard on the deck for NBC. Phelps won in 1:56.66, then saw Tom Malchow take the second semifinal in 1:57.52.
Phelps was able to sleep in this morning, the only one in a seven-day stand in which he doesn’t have any preliminaries. His only race tonight is the 200 butterfly final. The winner will receive his award from Mark Spitz, who 32 years ago set the Olympic medal mark of seven golds that Phelps is chasing.
“The transition went pretty well,” Bowman said of the night’s demands. “He set himself up pretty well.”
<!– ART CREDITMARK J. TERRILL : ASSOCIATED PRESS
ART CREDIT–> <!– CUTLINE TEXTMichael Phelps looks back and gets Scott Goldblatt's congratulations after winning the 200 freestyle in 1:46.27.
CUTLINE TEXT–> <!– ART CREDITMARK J. TERRILL : ASSOCIATED PRESS
ART CREDIT–> <!– CUTLINE TEXTMichael Phelps came on strong after a weak start in the 200 freestyle. He took control of the race on the third 50-meter leg and held off Klete Keller, who also won a spot on the Olympic team.
CUTLINE TEXT–>