OMAHA, Neb. – One world record was broken and another tied Friday at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming. First, Aaron Peirsol of Longhorn Aquatics tied the world record in the men’s 200m back, turning in a time of 1:54.32. Then Michael Phelps of Club Wolverine broke his own world record in the men’s 200m IM in 1:54.80.
Ryan Lochte of Daytona Beach Swimming, who now shares the world record in the 200m back with Peirsol, finished second in both races by just fractions of a second, touching in 1:54.34 in the 200m back and 1:55.22 in the 200m IM.
In other finals, Rebecca Soni of Trojan Swim Club won the women’s 200m breaststroke in 2:22.60, while Dara Torres of Coral Springs Swim Club captured the women’s 100m free in 53.78.
The first- and second-place finishers in each of tonight’s finals – along with the top four finishers in the women’s 100m – free qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team. A number of swimmers who finished second in their events earlier in the week were also officially added to the Olympic Team Friday.
Thos swimmers included Lochte (400m IM, 200m IM, 200m back); Peter Vanderkaay of Club Wolverine (400m free); Mark Gangloff of Swim Mac (100m breast); Matt Grevers of Tucson Ford (100m back); Gil Stovall of Athens Bulldog Swim Club (200m fly); and Eric Shanteau of Longhorn Aquatic Club (200m breast).
In the men’s 200m backstroke, Peirsol and Lochte were stroke-for-stroke the whole way, with neither swimmer enjoying more than a two-tenths-of-a second lead over the other throughout the entire race. The two touched the wall almost simultaneously, and the crowd of 13,247 at the Qwest Center Omaha drew its breath and looked at the scoreboard. Peirsol first, Lochte second.
It was Peirsol’s second win of the meet after taking the men’s 100m back in world record time on Tuesday.
“I was just trying to make the team,” Peirsol said. “I knew going in what kind of race it would be. I didn’t know if we were going 1:55 or 1:53, but I was happy to get my hand on the wall first.
“It’s much more fulfilling to win a race by two-hundredths of a second than it is to win by two and a half seconds.”
Lochte had just about 25 minutes between races before he was up on the blocks again, facing Phelps in the 200m IM. Though Phelps led for much of the race, Lochte took a slight half-second lead at the end of the breaststroke leg, setting up the battle down the homestretch.
Phelps edged Lochte at the finish by 42-hundredths of a second, as the crowd stood up on its feet and cheered his world record. Lochte’s time was the third fastest of all time in this event.
For Phelps, the 200m IM was his fourth win of the week, after taking the 400m IM, the 200m free and the 200m fly. He has qualified for the Olympics in five events, including the 4x200m free relay.
“I think both of us hate to lose,” said Phelps, referring to his and Lochte’s competitive drive. “When getting in the water with him in the last three or four races, it’s taken a world record to win”
Both Peirsol and Phelps applauded Lochte for his double effort Friday.
“I like the events I’m swimming,” Lochte said. “I’m a versatile swimmer, and any time I get a chance to race a swimmer like Michael Phelps or Aaron Peirsol, I’m more than happy to do it.”
Soni turned in the second-fastest time of the year in the women’s 200m breast and missed the American record held by Amanda Beard by 16-hundredths of a second.
She led the race from start to finish and was a hundredth of a second ahead of world-record pace at 100 meters. She finished about two body-lengths ahead of the rest of the field, leaving the rest to fight for second place.
The second spot went to Beard, the defending Olympic gold medalist in 2:25.13. Beard has now qualified for four Olympic teams in this event.
“You never get used to this,” Beard said. “I’m pumped. Not a lot of people expected me to make this team. I knew I could make it, but I knew it was a long shot. I haven’t had a lot of training under my belt, and I’m not feeling 100 percent, but fortunately, it worked out fine. I think my experience really helped me out here.
In the women’s 100m free, Torres was out in front of the pack and ahead of American-record pace when she flipped at the 50. As she came down the final 50 meters, she withstood a final charge by Natalie Coughlin of California Aquatics, who finished .05 seconds behind in 53.83.
Torres’ win qualified her for her fifth Olympic Team, and was her first Trials win in the 100m free.
“That really, really hurt,” Torres said. “All I could think was, ‘Where is that wall?’ It was more about guts today, because my body’s really beat up right now.
“It was an unbelievable crowd. I’ve never been to a Trials like this. It was just so much fun to get out there and race. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet, but I’m thrilled.”
Lacey Nymeyer of Tucson Ford was third in the 100m free in 54.02, followed by Trojan Swim Club’s Jessica Hardy in 54.62. Emily Silver of Cal Aquatics (54.91) and Julia Smit of Stanford Swimming (54.99) rounded out the top six, and may be added to the team later in the meet pending swimmers qualifying in multiple events.
SEMIFINALS
Stanford Swimming’s Ben Wildman-Tobriner will be the top seed in tomorrow night’s finals of the 50m free after clocking a 21.65 in tonight’s semifinals. In prelims, SwimMAC’s Cullen Jones set the American record in 21.59, breaking the 8-year-old mark of 21.76 held by the Race Club’s Gary Hall Jr. Jones qualified as the second seed Friday in 21.71, while Hall, the defending Olympic gold medalist, qualified fourth in 21.94.
Elizabeth Beisel of Bluefish Swim Club is the top qualifier from the semifinals of the women’s 200m back with a time of 2:07.78. Earlier in the day, Hayley McGregory of Longhorn Aquatics broke the 16-year-old meet record in prelims in 2:08.76, only to have Beisel break that record in the very next heat in 2:07.44. McGregory is the second seed in tomorrow night’s finals (2:08.28), while Margaret Hoelzer of King Aquatic Club, the 2004 Olympic qualifier and American record-holder in this event, is the third seed in 2:09.04.
The top two swimmers of all time in the 100m butterfly – Ian Crocker and Michael Phelps – will face off in tomorrow night’s finals as the top two seeds. Phelps, the defending Olympic and world champ, is the top seed in 51.10. Crocker, the world record-holder, is the second seed in 51.52.
Tomorrow’s events include prelims and semifinals of the women’s 50m free. Prelims of the men’s 1500m free will also be conducted, as will the finals of the women’s 200m back, men’s 100m fly, women’s 800m free and men’s 50m free.
Be sure to catch all the action from tomorrow night’s finals and semifinals live on NBC, beginning at 7 p.m. CT.