OMAHA, Neb. — Ryan Lochte held off Michael Phelps in the 400-meter individual medley at the U.S. Olympic team trials in swimming, but both claimed Olympic team slots in a hard fought race Monday night.
Lochte pulled away over the last 150 meters, winning in 4 minutes, 7.06 seconds as Phelps touched the wall in 4:07.89. Both men hovered in the pool after the race, chests heaving, expressionless, before exchanging a handshake.
“The first race is always the hardest,” Lochte said. “I can take a deep breath now and relax. ... I’m just going to go out and have fun now.”
Tyler Clary claimed the third spot, finishing in 4:09.92 after leading after the backstroke leg. Only the top two finishers in each event win Olympic team berths.
“All three of us were side by side by side, neck and neck and neck,” Phelps said. “You could hear the excitement from the crowd. I think that was something that played a role in giving me extra energy in the last 50.”
The swimmers were greeted by a roaring crowd when they walked onto the pool deck for the first final of these Olympic trials. Lochte, a two-time world champion in the event, and Phelps, a two-time Olympic champion in the event likely will face off here again in the 200 freestyle, the 200 IM and possibly the 100 freestyle. Phelps also is expected to swim the 100 and 200 butterflies; while Lochte will add the 200 backstroke and possibly another event.
Clary, who has won two consecutive world championships medals in the 400 medley, admitted earlier he was surprised that Phelps decided to tackle this race after largely avoiding it for the past four years.
After winning the 400 IM while setting a world record at the 2008 Summer Games, Phelps had declared that he was through with the taxing event. But after alternately toying with it and abandoning it in exasperation, Phelps decided to resurrect it for these trials.
It’s been one of his signature races. And because it’s the opening event on the opening day of the Olympic schedule, it conflicts with none of the other events Phelps wishes to swim.
“I wanted to do that,” Phelps said. “Having a year and a half off from it was good, but this is an event I’ve done for a long time, it’s something I’m kind of happy to finish off my career with.”
While Phelps largely shelved the 400 medley over the last few years, Lochte usurped his domination, winning the event at the past two world championships and the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships. Phelps plans to retire after the Olympics and already has won 14 gold medals, more than any other athlete.
After claiming the bronze in the event and the 200 medley at the 2008 Summer Games, Lochte said, he decided enough was enough. He wanted to climb to the top perch of medal podiums, not the second or third. He said Monday he was in the best shape of his life here and expected to get faster throughout the week.
The pair managed the top times in Monday’s morning preliminaries, with Lochte finishing in 4:10.66 and Phelps leading his heat in 4:14.72.
“Usually my first race, I tend to just go for it because I usually feel good,” Lochte said in the morning. “So I held back on the first half. ... I know I have a lot left. I feel good. My legs are still a little sore; as I go throughout this meet, I think I’m going to get faster.”
In the other finals on the opening night of the trials, Peter Vanderkaay became a three-time Olympian by winning the 400 free, while 19-year-old Elizabeth Beisel earned her second consecutive trip to the Olympics in the 400 individual medley.
Vanderkaay won in 3:47.67, while Conor Dwyer settled for the second spot on the Olympic team in 3:47.83. Beisel won her event easily in 4:31.74, more than two seconds ahead of Caitlin Leverenz.
Information for this article was contributed by The Washington Post and The Associated Press.
Eye on Arkansans
How athletes with Arkansas ties are doing at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Neb.
MONDAY’S RESULTS MEN MICHAEL HAEFNER (BENTONVILLE) did not advance to the semifinals of the 100-meter breaststroke.
GAGE CROSBY (BENTONVILLE) did not advance to the semifinals of the 100-meter breaststroke.
WOMEN JULIA KUCHERICH (UA) did not advance to the semifinals of the 400-meter individual medley.
ON TAP TODAY MEN ELLIS MILLER Siloam Springs Event 100 backstroke (heats/semis) WOMEN NIKKI DANIELS Arkansas Event 100 breaststroke (heats/semis) CHELSEA FRANKLIN Arkansas Event 400 freestyle (final)
OLYMPIC SWIMMMING TRIALS
At CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Neb. (All race distances in meters; top 2 in finals make team)
MEN
400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
FINAL 1, Ryan Lochte, Daytona Beach, Fla., 4 minutes, 07.06 seconds. 2, Michael Phelps, Baltimore, 4:07.89. 3, Tyler Clary, Riverside, Calif., 4:09.92. 4, Andrew Gemmell, Wilmington, Del., 4:16.07. 5, Michael Weiss, Reno, Nev., 4:16.31. 6, Chase Kalisz, Baltimore, 4:16.32. 7, Tyler Harris, Richmond, Va., 4:18.22. 8, Robert Margalis, Flushing, N.Y., 4:21.27.
400 FREESTYLE
FINAL 1, Peter Vanderkaay, Rochester, Mich., 3:47.67. 2, Conor Dwyer, Winnetka, Ill., 3:47.83. 3, Michael Klueh, Evansville, Ind., 3:48.17. 4, Charlie Houchin, Raleigh, N.C., 3:48.32. 5, Ryan Feeley, Rye, N.Y., 3:49.25. 6, Connor Jaeger, Fair Haven, N.J., 3:49.55. 7, Matt Patton, Charlotte, N.C., 3:49.90. 8, Michael McBroom, The Woodlands, Texas, 3:56.12.
100 BREASTSTROKE
(q-Top 8 times advance to final) SEMIFINAL 1 1, q-Brendan Hansen, Havertown, Pa., 59.71 seconds. 2, q-Scott Weltz, San Jose, Calif., 1:00.20. 3, q-Eric Shanteau, Lilburn, Ga., 1:00.27. 4, q-Marcus Titus, Tucson, Ariz., 1:00.49. 5, q-Clark Burckle, Louisville, Ky., 1:00.83. 6, Kevin Swander, Carmel, Ind., 1:00.98. 7, BJ Johnson, Seattle, 1:01.41. 8, Elliott Keefer, Cincinnati, 1:01.52. SEMIFINAL 2 1, q-Mark Gangloff, Akron, Ohio, 1:00.22. 2, q-Kevin Cordes, Naperville, Ill., 1:00.53. 3, q-Mike Alexandrov, Champaign, Ill., 1:00.75. 4, Brendan McHugh, Sicklerville, N.J., 1:01.04. 5, Nicolas Fink, Morristown, N.J., 1:01.14. 6, John Criste, Saugus, Calif., 1:01.27. 7, Adam Ritter, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 1:01.68. 8, Eric Friedland, Bethesda, Md., 1:01.93.
WOMEN
100 BUTTERFLY
(q-Top 8 times advance to final)
SEMIFINAL 1
1, q-Natalie Coughlin, Vallejo, Calif., 58.27. 2, q-Claire Donahue, Lenoir City, Tenn., 58.53. 3, q-Kelsey Floyd, Lexington, Ky., 58.53. 4, q-Christine Magnuson, Knoxville, Tenn., 58.72. 5, Amanda Kendall, Fairfax, Va., 59.20. 6, Kim Vandenberg, Moraga, Calif., 59.24. 7, Tanya Krisman, Wildomar, Calif., 59.44. 8, Shannon Draves, Gilbersville, Pa., 59.63.
SEMIFINAL 2
1, q-Dana Vollmer, Granbury, Texas, 56.42 (American record, previous 56.47, Dana Vollmer, July 24, 2011; championship record, previous 56.59, Dana Vollmer, June 25, 2012). 2, q-Elaine Breeden, Lexington, Ky., 58.18. 3, q-Kathleen Hersey, Atlanta, 58.19. 4, q-Caroline McElhany, Friendswood, Texas., 58.51. 5, Erika Erndl, Naples, Fla., 58.87. 6, Olivia Scott, Aurora, Ill., 58.99. 7, Jasmine Tosky, Palo Alto, Calif., 59.01. 8, Jennifer Connolly, Cincinnati, 59.17.
400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
FINAL
1, Elizabeth Beisel, Saunderstown, R.I., 4:31.74. 2, Caitlin Leverenz, Tucson, Ariz., 4:34.48. 3, Cammile Adams, Cypress, Texas, 4:38.62. 4, Maya Dirado, Santa Rosa, Calif., 4:38.67. 5, Becca Mann, Washington, 4:41.61. 6, Meghan Hawthorne, Granada Hills, Calif., 4:41.75. 7, Sarah Henry, Garner, N.C., 4:42.45. 8, Haley
Sports, Pages 17 on 06/26/2012