MICHAEL Phelps closed out the US Olympic trials with a commanding win in the 100 metres butterfly on Saturday, adding another event to his packed Beijing programme.
After seven days, 15 swims and two world records, Phelps has crafted an Olympic schedule that will include eight events, providing the 23-year-old with enough ammunition to attack Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at one Summer Games.
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This week turned out the way I wanted it to," Phelps noted. "I'm excited and ready for the challenge that lies ahead of me.
"It's a week of competing that has come to a close. We have to prepare ourselves for the Olympics and hopefully we can come back in a month and prove to the world that the US is the best swimming team out there."
The 100m butterfly showdown was a classic contest, pitting the two fastest men of all time in the event, world record holder Ian Crocker against Olympic champion Phelps.
The pair matched each other stroke-for-stroke coming off the final turn before Phelps powered away to touch in 50.89 and complete the trials a perfect five-for-five in finals (the 200 and 400m medley, 100 and 200m butterfly and 200m freestyle). Phelps will also participate in three relay events in the Chinese capital next month.
After false starting and being disqualified in the 100m freestyle, Crocker made the most of his last chance to make the team for Beijing, where he will try to end Phelps' gold medal run in the 100m butterfly. "I guess it's no surprise I'll be going for gold in the 100m fly, trying to wrestle Michael for it," Crocker said.
The evening session got off to a spectacular start as Margaret Hoelzer demolished the 200m backstroke world record with a time of 2:06.09, slicing 0.30 seconds off the old mark set by Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry earlier this year.
Elizabeth Beisel was a well beaten second in 2:06.92 while Hayley McGregory, who set a world record in the 100m backstroke preliminaries but finished third in the final, had her Olympic dreams smashed after another third-place result.
Katie Hoff, who Phelps playfully calls his little sister, capped off her week with a crushing victory in the 800m freestyle by powering away from Kate Ziegler to finish more than five seconds clear of the world champion in a time of 8:20.81.
The victory guarantees Hoff a Phelps-like schedule in Beijing, having qualified in five individual events (the 200 and 400m medley, and the 200, 400 and 800m free), and the 4 by 200m relay.
The full article contains 449 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
