INDIANAPOLIS -- Michael Phelps is up to his old amazing
tricks.
The two-time Olympian came within a whisker of setting a world
record in the 100 backstroke Friday night, winning twice in about
an hour at the U.S. National Championships.
His time of 53.01 seconds was the second-fastest ever, just
three-hundreths of a second off Aaron Peirsol's mark set in March
at the world championships. Perhaps a more ominous message to the
swimming world is this: Phelps thinks he can go faster.
"How much?" coach Bob Bowman asked. "A lot. A lot faster
because he's done next to no preparation for that race
specifically."
It seems the only thing that can stop America's golden boy from
winning is himself.
Phelps set a meet record in the 200 freestyle with a time of
1:44.98, then regrouped and still had enough energy to swim what
Bowman called his best closing 50 ever in the 100 back.
The two wins were his third and fourth of the week and put him
within one victory of becoming the first American man to win five
titles in back-to-back summer nationals. He had also won five
events in 2003 and 2006. No other American man has even done it
once.
But it won't happen Saturday because of the deal Phelps cut with
Bowman on Friday morning.
"Our deal was that if I broke 45 (in the free) and 54 (in the
back), then I could have a sleep in tomorrow," Phelps said. "It's
good to have a sleep-in day because I've not had one in a while."
Pulling out of Saturday's 200 individual medley means Phelps
will have to wait at least two more years to add that line to his
impeccable resume.
He did match another one of his previous records Friday by
winning the freestyle -- giving him three victories in different
strokes. He's the only man to do that, too.
But Phelps was challenged, at least.
He had to fend off the hard-charging Peter Vanderkaay, his
teammate with Club Wolverine, to take the 200 free. Vanderkaay was
second in 1:45.45 -- both under the previous meet record.
In the 100 back, Phelps watched Indiana University's Ben Hesen
go out quickly, turning in a 25.78, a sub-world record split.
This time, Phelps rallied. He hit the wall hard, pushed and got
past Hesen, who struggled in the last 50. By the time David
Cromwell started to close on Phelps the only remaining question was
whether Phelps would break the record.
Cromwell was second in 53.82, Hesen third at 54.40.
"I saw them going out, and I didn't want them to get too far
ahead," Phelps said. "I did look at the scoreboard, and I wanted
to hit the wall hard and then I saw myself going past them."
Phelps wasn't the only one turning heads in Indianapolis.
Brendan Hansen, who complained Tuesday night about the air
quality inside the natatorium, easily won the 100 breaststroke
Friday.
The world-record holder in the event dominated the race,
finishing in 59.59 -- the sixth fastest time in history. Hansen owns
five of those marks. Mark Gangloff was second in 1:00.43, and
Hansen acknowledged that the times were better because the swimmers
could breathe more easily.
"I was coughing all night the other night," Hansen said. "But
I was watching from the pool deck the last couple of nights and it
was better. Once we got that (message) out, they got it taken care
of real fast."
The other big event was the third head-to-head matchup this week
between Kate Ziegler and Katie Hoff in the 200 free.
Ziegler won the first two races -- the 400 and 800 free. Hoff
dominated this one. She took the lead at 100 meters and pulled away
from both Ziegler and Dana Vollmer to win by nearly a full second.
Vollmer and Hoff were roommates at the 2004 Olympics and at this
year's world championships.
Hoff set a meet record, 1:57.57, while Vollmer finished in
1:58.53. Ziegler was third at 1:58.66.
"The 200 is a pretty good event for me," Hoff said. "I'm
getting better in the 400 and 800, but that's definitely my best
race."
Rebecca Soni also made a splash. The Southern Cal student, who
had surgery to correct a rapid heartbeat last summer, won the 100
breast in 1:07.06. Olympian Megan Jendrick was second in 1:07.19,
and Tara Kirk was third at 1:07.35.
Hayley McGregory won the women's 100 back in 1:00.93. Leila
Vaziri was second in 1:01.03.
As usual, Phelps won over the crowd with his special
performance, even if he wasn't at his best.
"I had a really good month of training right after the worlds
in Colorado Springs, and since then the training has not really
been where it should be," Phelps said. "So what happened tonight
gets me even more excited."