U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

Phelps adds third spot on team

Michael Phelps pulled away for a dominating victory in the 200-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic trials Thursday in Omaha, Neb., keeping him on course to swim eight events in London.
Michael Phelps pulled away for a dominating victory in the 200-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic trials Thursday in Omaha, Neb., keeping him on course to swim eight events in London.

— After a couple of duels with his biggest rival, Michael Phelps made this one look easy.

Phelps stayed on course to swim eight events at the London Games, pulling away for a dominating victory in the 200-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic trials Thursday night.

Phelps has locked up three individual events for London and he’s got two more to go in Omaha. Combined with a likely spot on all three relays, the 26-year-old from Baltimore - already the winningest Olympian ever - would have a chance to duplicate his record from the 2008 Games if he doesn’t stumble over the next three days.

“The last 25 meters are pretty painful,” Phelps said. “I just wanted to get to the wall and secure another spot on the team.”

Davis Tarwater led at the first and second turns, but there was never any doubt about Phelps pulling ahead. He surged to the front on the third leg and was a body length ahead of the field when he touched in 1 minute, 53.65 seconds.

Phelps had a much easier time than in his first two events at Omaha, when he was going against Ryan Lochte. Phelps edged Lochte in the 200 freestyle after losing to him in the 400 individual medley. Lochte still finished second, earning an Olympic spot.

Phelps said he’ll have to go even faster in London to claim his third consecutive gold in the 200 butterfly.

But he appears to be getting stronger every day.

“It’s not a good enough time to win a gold medal, but I think I’m OK with it,” he said. “Going into the last wall. I didn’t want to have any close ones, so I tried to stay under as long as I could. Today was the best my stroke has felt throughout the whole meet.”

The real race was for second place - and another spot on the Olympic team. Tyler Clary, who lost out to Phelps in the 400 individual medley, rallied from behind for a time of 1:55.12, edging Bobby Bollier’s 1:55.79.

Clary pumped his right fist and pounded the water when he saw a “2” beside his name on the scoreboard. When Phelps got out of the water, he walked side-by-side with Clary along the deck, patting the first-time Olympian on the back of the head.

“When I got out, I said to him, ‘It’s pretty cool to make your first one,’ and he goes, ‘You have no idea how good that feels,’ ” Phelps said. “It was definitely cool to watch his excitement, and swimming with him for a couple of years of school, you see how much of a hard worker he is. It’s cool to see everything pay off.”

Clary was the silver medalist behind Lochte in the 400IM at last year’s world championships, but Phelps restored the event to his program and Clary wound up third at the trials - out of the Olympics.

“It was amazing,” Clary said. “I can’t even put into words how the end of that race felt, not only the pain in the last 20 meters but just the complete and total turnaround.”

Phelps isn’t the only one building a busy Olympic schedule. His training partner, Allison Schmitt, was equally dominating in the 200 freestyle. She broke her own American record with a time of 1:54.40, the best in the world this year. Already the winner in the 400 freestyle, she eclipsed the national record set in the 2009 world championships at Rome.

“I didn’t feel like I was on my record pace, but I could hear the crowd,” Schmitt said. “And when I touched and saw the flames go off I was pretty excited before I even looked up and saw the time.”

Seventeen-year-old Missy Franklin locked up another Olympic race, claiming the second 200 spot in 1:56.79. She rallied from fifth place at the first turn to take the runner-up position. Franklin already won the 100 backstroke and looks poised to have another huge performance in London, after breaking through at last year’s worlds with five medals.

She’s more excited about being on the 800 freestyle relay.

“Relays are such a big part of what we do,” Franklin said. “Being part of a team is so special.”

Dana Vollmer and Lauren Perdue finished third and fourth, assuring themselves of being in the pool for the 800 freestyle relay. Shannon Vreeland (fifth) and Alyssa Anderson (sixth) also are likely to be taken to London as potential relay swimmers.

Caitlin Leverenz became a first-time Olympian with a victory in the 200 individual medley. She was dominating on the final two legs - breaststroke and freestyle - and pulled away to win in 2:10.22.

Ariana Kukors, who won gold in the event at the 2009 world championships and was third at last year’s worlds, rallied to claim a spot on her first Olympic team, as well. She touched second in 2:11.30, just twenty-five-hundredths ahead of Elizabeth Pelton, who led the first two laps but couldn’t hang on.

Also Thursday, Clark Burckle was top qualifier in the 200 breaststroke semifinals, while favorites Eric Shanteau and Brendan Hansen advanced with the second- and third-fastest times. Cammile Adams was fastest in the women’s 200 butterfly semifinals, followed by Kathleen Hersey and Teresa Crippen.

Eye on Arkansans

How athletes with Arkansas ties are doing at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Neb.: THURSDAY’S RESULTS

MEN

GAGE CROSBY (BENTONVILLE) did not advance to the semifinals in the 200-meter breaststroke.

TROY ESENTAN (NORTH LITTLE ROCK) did not advance to the semifinals in the 200-meter breaststroke.

ELLIS MILLER (SILOAM SPRINGS) did not advance to the semifinals in the 100-meter freestyle.

ON TAP TODAY

MEN ELLIS MILLER Siloam Springs EVENT 200-meter backstroke (heats/ semifinals)

Sports, Pages 25 on 06/29/2012

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