OMAHA — Round 2 goes to Michael Phelps.
Getting back at rival Ryan Lochte, Phelps stretched out to win a thrilling 200-meterfreestyle at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials Wednesday night, setting up a duel in London that just gets more tantalizing with every race between the world’s two greatest swimmers.
Lochte won the 400 individual medley on the opening night of the trials, his third consecutive major victory over the winningest Olympian ever. But Phelps isn’t going down that easily.
He got off to a stronger start that usual, leading at the first turn and holding the advantage through all four laps. Both swimmers got a big boost off the final turn, cutting through the water like missiles, and Lochte went stroke for stroke down the stretch.
But Phelps stretched out his right arm at the wall, touching just ahead of Lochte. The winning time was 1 minute, 45.70 seconds - five-hundredths of a second ahead of Lochte.
“Obviously it’s been a while, so it felt better” to beat Lochte, Phelps said. “But there’s still some things I can improve on.” Phelps’ victory was even more impressive given his busy night. He didn’t even have time to celebrate, hustling back to the warm-down pool to get ready for the semifinals of the 200 butterfly. He came back 40 minutes later to post the third-fastest qualifying time, moving on to tonight’s final looking tolock up a chance to defend the gold he won at the past two Olympics.
“I feel old,” the 26-year-old Phelps quipped. “Just getting in the water to race is what motivates me.”
Speaking of busy, Missy Franklin left no doubt that she is swimming’s next big star with a stunning performance in the 100 backstroke, signaling a changing of the guard in an event Natalie Coughlin captured at the past two Olympics.
Coming back to the pool just 20 minutes after qualifying for the final of the 200 freestyle, the 17-year-old chased down Coughlin on the return lap to win with an American record time of 58.85.
“I have dreamed of this moment, but I never thought it would come true at 17 years old,” Franklin said. “Dreams do come true.”
Coughlin got off to a typically strong start and was under world-record pace at the turn. But the 29-year-old couldn’t hold off two teenagers. Eighteen-year-old Rachel Bootsma got past the 11-time Olympic medalist, as well, claiming the second Olympic spot in 59.49.
Coughlin was third in 1:00.06 and has only one more chance to make her third Olympic team, the 100 freestyle. She swam over to congratulate Franklin in the middle of the pool, but her chances of making a third consecutive Olympic team are hanging in the balance.
She hopes to have a shot at winning at least one medal in London, which would pull her even with Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres as the most decorated U.S. female Olympians.
“I did exactly what I needed to do tonight and gave it my best. That’s really all you can ask for,” Coughlin said. “I have won two golds in that. I am very proud of what I’ve done in the 100 backstroke and it’s time for Missy and Bootsma.” Thompson and Torres each have 12 medals, and the 45-year-old Torres is back trying to make one more Olympic team. She has entered only one event in Omaha and has yet to swim.
Coughlin is down to her last chance in 2012.
“It’s not exactly what I was hoping for coming into this,” she said. “I’m a little bummed, but not nearly as much as everyone is expecting me to be. You’re walking around the pool deck and people are acting like you’re dying or something. I have another shot to make the team in the 100 free, and I’m looking forward to that. For the rest of this season, I’m a freestyler.” In another final Wednesday, Breeja Larson pulled off a huge upset in the 100 breaststroke, beating Rebecca Soni and world-record holder Jessica Hardy. Soni rallied to get the second spot on the team, but Hardy finished third - about a half-second too slow to earn a spot in London.
Sports, Pages 15 on 06/28/2012