Phelps on track for history

2008-07-06 13:18

Omaha - Michael Phelps won his fifth individual event at the US Olympic swimming trials on Saturday, his 100m butterfly triumph leaving him poised for a run at history in Beijing.

With five individual events to swim and almost certainly three relays, Phelps has a chance to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at one Games.

Gary Hall's hopes of an historic third straight 50m freestyle gold medal ended, however, as the US veteran finished fourth in a final won by Garrett Weber-Gale ahead of world champion Ben Wildman-Tobriner.

Hall's post-race remarks had a valedictory air, but with a characteristic teasing twist.

"This is my last race - until I race again," the 33-year-old, five-time Olympic gold medallist said.

Weber-Gale's time of 21.47 seconds was an American record, and he will now try to become the first American man since Matt Biondi in 1988 to complete a 50m and 100m Olympic double.

But Phelps's assault on Spitz's record will be the buzz of Beijing.

Phelps holds the world record in four of his five events - the 200m and 400m individual medleys, the 200m freestyle and the 200m butterfly.

"This week turned out how I wanted it to," said Phelps, who lowered both medley world marks this week.

"I'm ready for the challenge that lies ahead at the Olympics," said Phelps, who swam 15 times in all over the course heats, semi-finals and finals in six events.

He staked his claim to a 4x100m freestyle relay berth when he became the third American to post a sub-48 second time in the heats of the 100m freestyle before withdrawing from that event.

"I think that at the Olympics it's going to be harder than it was here," he said. "It's a higher level and you add relays in."

Phelps is also a former world record-holder in the 100m butterfly, and on Saturday clocked 50.89 seconds to defeat current world record-holder Ian Crocker (51.62) in the final.

Crocker said his overriding emotion at making the team was "relief," and he said he'd have to do better to have a chance at gold in Beijing.

"This whole week has been an eye-opener," said Crocker, who led Phelps at the turn but was overtaken coming home. "I feel like there are a lot of young wolves coming to eat the old wolves. I'm really happy to be on the team. I'm not happy about how fast I went."

Crocker, who false started in the 100m freestyle, said he has just one real goal in Beijing.

"I suppose it's no surprise that I'm going for individual gold in the 100 butterfly - trying to wrestle Michael for it."

The penultimate night of the trials saw the meet's eighth world record fall as world champion Margaret Hoelzer won the 200m backstroke in 2:06.09.

Hoelzer lowered the mark of 2:06.39 set by Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry in Columbia, Missouri on February 16.

Elizabeth Beisel, 15, secured her second Olympic berth with a second-place finish in 2:06.92.

It was the teenager's second runner-up finish in a world record-setting race, after she followed Katie Hoff home in the 400m individual medley.

Hoff completed an outstanding meet with a victory in the women's 800m freestyle in 8:20.81.

The 19-year-old from Baltimore secured her fifth individual berth, adding the 800m to the 200m and 400m medleys, and the 200m and 400m freestyles. She'll also swim the 4x200m free relay.

"I knew it was going to be a challenging race," said Hoff, who finished comfortably in front of Kate Ziegler (8:25.38). "It was a lot easier for me to do because it was at the end of the week."

She said her intense schedule at trials had left her well-primed for a similar ambitious programme in Beijing.

"I've learned I can handle it," Hoff said. "It's a challenging schedule, but I can handle it mentally and physically."

The trials conclude on Sunday with the finals of the women's 50m freestyle and the men's 1 500m freestyle.

- AFP