Phelps' sore neck is better, puts in light workout

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michael Phelps' sore neck is feeling better and the 14-time Olympic gold medalist is back in the pool practicing.

Phelps swam 4,000 yards Saturday in what coach Bob Bowman called a "light workout" at the Indiana University Natatorium.

He withdrew from the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. national championships on Friday after waking up a day earlier with a kink in the left side of his neck.

Phelps said he swam through the pain while setting a world record in the 100 butterfly Thursday night. He has qualified for the world championships later this month in three individual events, and he'll likely swim all three relays in Rome.

Source

It's a pain in the neck for Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps had to pull out of the morning heats of the 100-metre freestyle at the US Nationals.

Phelps, who won eight gold medals in Beijing, had been suffering from a sore neck.

"I could hardly move my neck to breath," he said. "We decided it was better to take the precautionary route and scratch this morning's race."

Source

Michael Phelps is Back... And So is the 'Buzz'

Michael Phelps is back in America's good graces after setting a new world record this week -- too bad a highly ironic advertisement on Subway's website keeps rehashing Phelps' pot smokin' past.

A rep for Subway tells us we have the bong wrong idea -- saying it's just an unfortunate coincidence, adding the Fresh Buzz site has been around for 3 years.

By the way, Phelps says when he gets the munchies, he goes for the meatball sub with jalapeno -- no word if he likes it toasted

Source

Michael Phelps Demolishes World Record in 100 Fly -

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, July 9. AFTER flirting with the world record during a meet in Montreal earlier this season, superstar Michael Phelps smashed Ian Crocker's world record in the men's 100 fly.

Phelps had a ridiculous back half with a 23.83 going out and coming back in 23.83. The final time of 50.22 crushed Crocker's effort of 50.40 that stood since 2005.

Comparative splits:
Crocker: 23.51, 50.40 (26.89)
Phelps: 23.83, 50.22 (26.39)

"I still remember the day at Worlds when I broke it and the next day Crock broke it," Phelps said. "He's had it ever since. We've had some great races. I have no idea what my splits were, but I felt better tonight. I hope I can feel better in a few weeks."

Phelps now owns five long course meter world records with top times in the 200 free (1:42.96), 100 fly (50.22), 200 fly (1:52.03), 200 IM (1:54.23) and 400 IM (4:03.84). He is also a member of all three relay world records.

Meanwhile, Tyler McGill of Auburn claimed second in 51.06 to move into the top 10 all time in the event. Longhorn's Aaron Peirsol finished third in a personal-best time of 51.30.

Source

Exclusive Interview with Michael Phelps

This satiric interview was originally published in High Times Magazine.

Q. What've you learned from this whole nuclear bong explosion?

A. I learned how fast you can go from being an international hero to being a reference in a joke on a late night talk show. I heard Jay Leno say, "You know what really did Tom Daschle in? It turns out there are now pictures of him partying with Michael Phelps." And David Letterman: "I don't want to just ruin everybody's day, but there is discouraging news everywhere. Unemployment is high. Foreclosure rate is high. Michael Phelps is high."

Q. Well, that's what happens when your profile is so high. But your coach said that you would learn from the experience.

A. I learned that it was my own fault. I was so busy getting treated like a horny Jesus that I forgot that there could possibly be a Judas in the room. A greedy Judas with a cell phone camera. That was my mistake. That's what I regret. That's what will never happen again. I mean what happens in South Carolina doesn't stay in South Carolina. It ends up in Tabloid Hell! And Judas got a friggin' hundred-thousand dollars to play with.

Q. In England, yet. And then it comes back here to the States and drops in the lap of the Kellogg Empire. I called their headquarters, and there was an automatic message: "Press one to leave a comment about Michael Phelps--"

A. They were afraid that my image would pollute their image. That my brand would damage their brand. But the truth is, I actually felt relieved. I had been like a whore. Selling my soul instead of renting my body. And Tony the Tiger was my pimp. A nutritionist told me that the absolutely worst thing to have in your diet is sugar-coated cereal. And there I was, pushing Frosted Flakes--and it's friggin' addictive, man--I was peddling a dangerous breakfast cereal to innocent little kids. And those Kellogg PR people were worried about what message was my behavior sending? What message does dealing junk food send?

Q. But this whole thing also served to open up dialogue. I saw Whoopi Goldberg on The View--she said, "I smoked weed," and most of the audience applauded. And don't forget, that's Middle America.

A. Y'know what I'd really like to do? When I was like twelve years old, there was this issue of Time magazine with Ellen DeGeneres on the cover, and she's saying, "Yep, I'm Gay." So now I wanna be on the cover of Newsweek, smoking a joint and saying, "Yep, I'm Stoned." I wanna be the poster boy for the decriminalization of marijuana. If I'm supposed to be a role model, it would be great to inspire tokers to come out of their closets. Listen, did you know that almost one out of every three Americans have smoked marijuana? There's strength in numbers, although everybody's afraid of losing their jobs, but they know that the real harm comes from the ridiculous, insane laws, not from the weed.

Q. And don't forget the vicious propaganda. Did you happen to see a commercial by the Office of National Drug Control Policy? It features a woman saying, "Hey, not trying to be your mom, but there aren't many jobs out there for pot-heads." Your mother is the principal of a middle school, right? What do you think her reaction would be to your pro-pot crusade?

A. Oh, I'm sure she wouldn't be very supportive. In fact, she'd be very upset. She would grit her teeth and she'd say, "Michael, you are grounded for three weeks!"

Source

Phelps has sore neck, drops out of 100 free

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michael Phelps has withdrawn from the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. national championships because of a sore neck.

The superstar swimmer was supposed to swim in the last heat Friday morning, but he was still in pain after waking up a day earlier with a kink in his neck.

Phelps says he swam through the pain in setting a world record in the 100 butterfly Thursday night. The 100 free was going to be his final event at nationals.

He has qualified for the world championships later this month in the 100 and 200 flys and the 200 free. It's likely Phelps will swim on three relays in Rome.

Even if he had qualified in the 100 free, Phelps says he wouldn't have swam the event at worlds. The swimming events begin July 26.

Source

Phelps Sets World Record in Butterfly

INDIANAPOLIS, July 9 -- There has been one swimmer, and only one, who has been able to lord over Michael Phelps, and that's a sweet old guy from Maine by the name of Ian Crocker. The now-retired Crocker, soft spoken and into his guitar, hated being Phelps's nemesis, the bad guy.

But that's exactly what he became by virtue of the fact he could kick Phelps's rear, quite routinely, in one event, the 100-meter butterfly. Phelps taped Crocker's picture on his bedroom wall for motivation six years ago, after Crocker set the 100 fly world record.
Crocker had held the record since -- until Thursday, that is.
Phelps finally demolished the mark at the U.S. swimming championships by winning the 100 fly final in 50.22 seconds -- 0.18 better than the 50.40 that has stood up since Crocker last set the record in 2005.
"It was big," Phelps, 24, said. "It was something I really, really wanted to accomplish. Crock and I had a lot of great history, a lot of great races. . . . I've wanted that record ever since he took it at the 2003 worlds."
The performance gave Phelps his first world record since the Beijing Olympics and upped his total of individual world records to five (he also holds world marks in the 200 freestyle, 200 fly, 200 individual medley and 400 individual medley). And it proved that he has not only recovered from a long post-Olympic break, but also that he is getting back into the form that helped him win eight golds in Beijing.
"At the Olympics, I was in the best shape of my life," Phelps said. "To have the preparation I've had and do a best time [here] is pretty cool."
Phelps's chase may have seemed like an eternity to him, but for five-time Olympian Dara Torres, six years represents just a tiny blip in a career that spans no fewer than 28 U.S. championships. Torres, 42, took another unprecedented step and shook the usual fist at middle age, winning her 16th national title in the 50 free in 24.43 seconds.
"I guess I don't think about the age thing," Torres said, "until I get out of the pool and start limping."
Thursday, in fact, Torres practically limped into the pool. Bothered by an arthritic knee that will require surgery after the world championships, which begin later this month in Rome -- which she qualified for with the victory -- Torres got a slow start off the blocks and did not come close to her American record of 24.07.
She did, however, blow away the field over the last half of the sprint. During the race, "the adrenaline goes and you don't really think about" the pain, Torres said. Amanda Weir finished second in 24.70 and Lara Jackson came in third in 24.71.
"My start was horrible," Torres said. "I haven't practiced starts. The one time I practiced my starts, I had to get my knee drained it swelled up so much. . . . It's a great feeling to be able to go out of here and still race, but that time won't medal at the world championships."
Torres has retired after so many Olympic Games -- only to return before the next -- that she has competed in just one previous world championships, the 1986 event in Madrid. There, she won a silver medal in the 400 freestyle relay.

In Beijing last summer, as Torres finished second in the 50 free and set the current American record, Phelps set -- or helped set -- world records in seven of his eight events. The only mark he missed came in the 100 fly, a race he nearly lost to Serbia's Milorad Serbia.
On Thursday, he easily beat Tyler McGill of Auburn University, who finished second in 51.06 and became the sixth-fastest man ever in the event . Backstroke specialist Aaron Peirsol claimed third in 51.30 seconds -- making him the 11th-fastest man ever.
Phelps, of course, is now first.
After Crocker beat Phelps by 1.25 seconds in the event at the 2005 world championships in Montreal, Phelps told his coach Bob Bowman he wanted to "put a bag over his head." Bowman told Phelps, he recalled, that he wanted to do the same.
"In the race Ian broke that record, that was the worst Michael had ever been beaten," Bowman said. "We both remember that. . . . That is an amazing record. That's why it stood the test of time."
Phelps credits his emphasis on speed events since he returned to the pool six months ago for allowing him to approach what had been such an elusive mark. Phelps said he has never trained the 100 fly harder, and he's also undertaken a far more rigorous weight-training regimen designed to build the upper-body strength he needs in sprint events.
"It's killed my body," he said. "There are days I can't pick anything up."
Phelps's previous best in the event was the 50.48 he swam a couple of weeks ago in Montreal.

"Everything I've done has been something I've wanted to do, and something I've dreamed of," Phelps said. "I would have liked to have gone eight for eight in Beijing, eight records and eight races. It feels good to have this one here."

Source

AU SWIMMING & DIVING: McGill finishes second to Phelps

INDIANAPOLIS — Auburn rising senior Tyler McGill placed second to world-record holder Michael Phelps in Thursday’s 100m butterfly finals of the 2009 ConocoPhillips National Championships. 

McGill’s runner-up finish qualifies him for a spot on Team USA heading into the World Championships in August.

McGill was in fourth at the turn, but exploded off the wall to pass Aaron Peirsol and Kyle Bubolz, laying down a new career best time of 51.06 in the process.

The Auburn 100y fly record holder lined up in Lane 5 next to Phelps, who set a new world-record time of 50.22, knocking off Ian Crocker’s previous mark of 50.40 set in July of 2005. McGill advanced to finals as the second seed after recording a heats time of 51.76.

Rising senior Jordan Anderson also made the A finals, swimming to a sixth-place finish with a new personal best, 52.65. Rising junior Andrew Mitchell placed 14th with a 53.72.

Auburn had five swimmers go under 22 seconds in the finals of the men’s 50m free. Auburn graduate assistant Bryan Lundquist had the highest finish for the Tigers, placing fourth with a time 21.73. The Tigers loaded the B finals with foreign talent as the A final was reserved for domestic competitors only.  Former Auburn swimmers Cesar Cielo (21.14), Fred Bousquet (21.36) and George Bovell (21.78), along with incoming freshman Adam Brown (21.99), went first-fourth in the notably faster B finals.

McGill, shortly after his second-place showing in the 100m fly, returned to the pool to win the 50m free C finals, timing in at 22.28.  Rising sophomore Karl Krug was on his heels in second, touching in at 22.59.

Auburn 100y breaststroke record holder Micah Lawrence placed 12th in the women’s 100m breast finals, hitting the wall in 1:09.40.

Rising senior Abby MacGregor cut nearly two and a half seconds off her preliminary time to win the C final of the 100m breast. The Louisville, Ky., native swam to a new personal best time of 1:08.84 after overtaking Ann Chandler in the final 50 meters for the win.

Rising junior Caitlin Geary tied for 13th in the women’s 50m free finals, touching in at 25.74. The 2009 SEC 200y freestyle champion hit the same time in heats to advance as the 14th overall seed.

Mazzaferro places 9th at World University Games
BELGRADE, Serbia — Auburn rising senior Dan Mazzaferro placed ninth in Thursday’s platform finals at the 2009 World University Games.

The three-time SEC Champion earned a six-dive total of 345.75.

Mazzaferro’s final dive list was given a 19.9 degree of difficulty (DD) with his highest marks coming in his final dive — a back two and a half somersault, one and a half twist pike worth 68.00 points.  In semis, Mazzaferro finished ninth with a 361.45 and a 19.9 DD.

Mazzaferro advanced to Serbia after a top finish at the 2009 Speedo USA Diving Spring Nationals, where the Cheshire, Pa, native placed second off the tower. 

At the 2007 World University Games, Mazzaferro placed fifth in synchronized platform and 23rd in platform diving. 

Source

Phelps sets another mark

Four months after deciding to keep swimming, Michael Phelps took ownership of a world record that had eluded him for years.

He won the men's 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. national championships in Indianapolis on Thursday in 50.22 seconds, lowering Ian Crocker's mark of 50.40 set at the 2005 world championships. Tyler McGill was second in 51.06.

Phelps currently holds world records in the 100 and 200 butterfly, 200 and 400 individual medley and 200 freestyle.

Also, Dara Torres won the women's 50 freestyle at age 42 despite a left knee that has a torn tendon and arthritis. She clocked a 24.43, with Amanda Weir second in 24.70.

NFL

Fans turned out by the thousands on a steamy hot day for the chance to honor slain ex-NFL quarterback Steve McNair. They lined up outside a Nashville, Tenn., funeral home. Also, a memorial service was held at a Baptist church. Police say McNair, 36, was shot July 4 by girlfriend Sahel Kazemi, who then killed herself.

A judge in Minneapolis blocked the NFL's plan to suspend Minnesota defensive linemen Kevin Williams and Pat Williams for violating the league's anti-doping policy. The NFL still hopes to enforce the players' four-game suspensions. The players tested positive last summer for a banned diuretic.

Arizona signed third-round draft pick Rashad Johnson (safety from Alabama) to a three-year contract.

Jacksonville signed Arizona

receiver Mike Thomas, a fourth-round draft pick.

NHL

The Sharks re-signed defenseman Rob Blake to a one-year deal. He had 10 goals and 35 assists in 2008-09, his first season with the Sharks and 18th in the NHL. Also, defenseman Kent Huskins re-signed with San Jose, agreeing to a two-year deal. The Sharks acquired Huskins from Anaheim on March 4, but he didn't play in San Jose while recovering from a broken foot.

Jiri Hudler's days in Detroit are over — at least for now. His two-year contract worth up to $5 million annually with Dynamo Moscow was filed with the Continental Hockey League. He made $1.15 million with the Red Wings last season.

Soccer

Freddy Adu won't play for the United States in the remaining games of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. Adu will participate in the preseason with Portuguese club Benfica.

Beach volleyball

Kerry Walsh, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, will return for the AVP Tour stop in Hermosa Beach on Aug. 6 — 21/2 months after the birth of her son, Joseph. Because Misty May-Treanor (Achilles injury) isn't ready to come back, Walsh will team with Rachel Wacholder.

WNBA

Swin Cash had 18 points, leading Seattle (8-4) to a 66-55 win over visiting Sacramento (3-9). Rookie Courtney Paris (Piedmont High) had eight points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Monarchs.

Betty Lennox scored 20 points, and Los Angeles (4-6) posted a 69-57 win over host New York (3-7).

College basketball

Trailing 13-9 in the first quarter, the U.S. women's team went on a 25-0 run en route to an 81-66 win over Australia in the semifinals of the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia. Cal's Alexis Gray-Lawson (Oakland Tech) had 10 points and five rebounds. The Americans will face either Russia or the Czech Republic for the gold medal Saturday.

Source

Phelps is fastest qualifier in 100 fly

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michael Phelps was the fastest qualifier in the 100-meter butterfly heats at the U.S. national championships.

He swam the two-lap race in 51.17 seconds Thursday morning at the Indiana University Natatorium. Phelps has already won the 200 fly and 200 freestyle, qualifying him for the world championships in Rome later this month.

Tyler McGill, a 21-year-old Auburn swimmer, was second-quickest and 59-hundredths of a second behind Phelps. Aaron Peirsol, who set a world record in the 100 back Wednesday, advanced in third.

Dara Torres led the 50 free heats in 24.72 seconds. At 42, Torres is nearly double the age of some of the others who made the final.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michael Phelps was the fastest qualifier in the 100-meter butterfly heats at the U.S. national championships.

He swam the two-lap race in 51.17 seconds Thursday morning at the Indiana University Natatorium. Phelps has already won the 200 fly and 200 freestyle, qualifying him for the world championships in Rome later this month.

The 100 fly is one of the few events that Phelps hasn't dominated. He'll be chasing Ian Crocker's world record of 50.40 in the evening final.

Tyler McGill, a 21-year-old Auburn swimmer, was second-quickest and 59-hundredths of a second behind Phelps. Aaron Peirsol, who set a world record in the 100 back Wednesday, advanced in third.

Source

Jimmie Johnson loosens up with video and a crack at Michael Phelps

JOLIET, Ill. — Jimmie Johnson's latest happy hour is taking a spin at comedy.

The three-time defending Cup champion is trying to put the breaks on his corporate image with a video spoof on FunnyorDie.com that shows Johnson offering humorous tips on how to succeed in life and on the race track. Johnson must have found his inner stand-up comic during the shoot.

He cracked a one-liner Thursday when asked about sharing a top male athlete ESPY nomination with Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.

"Would Phelps make it in our sport? Would he pass the (drug) test?" he said to laughter.

Phelps was photographed earlier this year smoking from a marijuana pipe.

Johnson pitches a three-disc DVD set that will "nurture and encourage your inner top dog."

He's also helped in the video by his celebrity teammates.

Instead of Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin, Johnson's guest stars include former NFL star Jason Sehorn, singer Nick Lachey and cheerleaders who gleefully spell his name.

"It was something outside of my comfort zone and really a lot of fun to do," Johnson said at Chicagoland Speedway. "Ultimately, the fans will decide if it's funny or if it should die."

Johnson is shown playing football and holding off tacklers by sticking his hand on their heads and shaking them off his leg. The would-be tacklers are kids.

Johnson also beats a senior citizen in arm wrestling.

No, it wasn't the 50-year-old Martin.

"It's just a bunch of stupid stuff that makes it funny and different," Johnson said. "I don't claim to be a comedian, and I'm sure there are funnier pieces that run on there. But it's had a very warm reception and it was fun to do."

Source

Phelps wins two events at nationals

Michael Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle and 200 butterfly at the U.S. nationals in Indianapolis last night, earning a trip to the world championships later this month.

Aaron Peirsol created the biggest buzz at the Indiana University Natatorium pool by reclaiming his world record in the 100 backstroke. The Olympic champion trailed Matt Grevers at 50 meters before pouring it on down the stretch to win in 51.94 seconds.

Peirsol became the first person to swim under 52 seconds in the event he has dominated for much of this decade. He has lowered the world record six times.

Peirsol's previous mark of 52.54 set in Beijing was broken by Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer Faber on July 1. Faber swam 52.38 on the backstroke leg of the 400 medley relay at the Mediterranean Games.

Grevers, the Olympic silver medalist, finished second in 53.11, giving himself another crack at taking down Peirsol in Rome.

Phelps held off David Walters in the closing meters of the 200 free and touched in 1 minute, 44.23 seconds. Walters pushed Phelps coming off the final turn, but settled for second in 1:44.95.

Phelps returned later to win the 200 fly in 1:52.76.

Source

Phelps captures 2 races at nationals

Michael Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle and 200-meter butterfly Wednesday at the U.S. national swimming championships in Indianapolis.

The 14-time Olympic gold medalist held off David Walters in the closing meters of the freestyle race to touch first in 1 minute, 44.23 seconds. Ryan Lochte was third in 1:45.66. The eight-man field included the 800 freestyle relay team of Phelps, Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay that won gold at the Beijing Olympics.

In the butterfly race, Phelps finished in 1:52.76.

Source

Michael Phelps wins twice, not happily

Reporting from Indianapolis -- When you think about it, Michael Phelps isn't just the greatest swimmer in the world because he's incredibly fast. It's also because, no matter what's going on in his life, no matter what transition he's undertaking or controversy he's facing, he's never slow.

There are times when he's faster than others, certainly. But one part of his athletic genius that is so easy to overlook is his consistency. He's occasionally amazing, often good and never awful. Mentally, he might be furious or frustrated about something, but he's always been able to put it aside long enough that it doesn't matter. And that sort of sums up his performance Wednesday night at the U.S. nationals.

Source

Briefs | Swimming: Michael Phelps, Aaron Peirsol have big days at nationals

Phelps wins two races, Peirsol sets world mark: Michael Phelps, a 14-time Olympic gold medalist, racked up his second victory of the night at the U.S. national championships Wednesday in Indianapolis.

Phelps won the 200-meter butterfly in 1 minute, 52.76 seconds, well off his world record of 1:52.03 set in Beijing.

Earlier, Phelps won the 200 freestyle, and his two victories earned him a trip to the world championships in Rome later this month.

Aaron Peirsol created the biggest buzz at the Indiana University Natatorium pool by reclaiming his world record in the 100 backstroke. The Olympic champion trailed Matt Grevers at 50 meters before pouring it on down the stretch to win in 51.94 seconds.

Dana Vollmer, a 2004 Olympian, won the women's 200 freestyle in 1:56.20. Ariana Kukors from Auburn was third in 1:58.28.

Hayley McGregory ended years of bitter disappointment with a victory in the 100 backstroke. Margaret Hoelzer, who trained in Seattle for last year's Olympics, was third.

Source

Peirsol reclaims world record; Phelps wins twice at nationals

Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Record-setting Olympian Michael Phelps won a pair of finals, while Aaron Peirsol reclaimed his world record in the 100- meter backstroke Wednesday at the USA Swimming championships.
Phelps, a 14-time Olympic gold medalist, won the 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly. His time in the free was 1 minute, 44.23 seconds, which was .72 seconds ahead of David Walters. Ryan Lochte was third. Phelps' time was off his world record mark of 1:42.96, which he set in Beijing.
Phelps finished the butterfly in a time of 1:52.76, which was again off his world record performance of 1:52.03, set last August, also in China at the Summer Games. Tyler Clary came in second, .88 seconds off the pace, while Daniel Madwed was third.
Peirsol's time of 51.94 seconds eclipsed the world mark set earlier this month by Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer Faber (52.38) at the Mediterranean Games. Peirsol, who won gold in the 100m backstroke the last two Summer Games, was followed by Matt Grevers (53.11) and Nick Thoman (53.12).
"It was a beautiful race," Peirsol said. "I knew I could do something special tonight. I'm a little speechless. I've said it before. Anyone can win a gold medal or set a world record at any time. There's something to be said for consistency."
In a pair of other finals, Hayley McGregory claimed the women's 100m backstroke in 1:00.07, while Dana Vollmer captured the women's 200m freestyle. Katie Hoff, who won three medals in Beijing, finished last in the eight-person field in the 200m freestyle, leaving her doubtful to compete at the world championships in Rome later this month.

Source

Peirsol world record overshadows Phelps debut

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Aaron Peirsol overshadowed Michael Phelps' first appearance at the U.S. National swimming championships on Wednesday, reclaiming his 100 metres backstroke world record with a stunning swim.

Peirsol clocked 51.94 seconds, slicing .44 seconds off the mark set by Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer Faber in the lead off leg in a 4x100m medley relay at the Mediterranean Games on July 1.

"When my world record was broken it was a total surprise," Peirsol, who has now broken the record six times, told reporters. "My goal coming in was to break the world record and that was added motivation, most definitely.

"The guy got to hold it for a week and in another of couple of weeks he will get his chance again.

"That was just a great swim, I felt great. It's great to know what I'm capable of."

Matthew Grevers had taken the race out in world record pace and led Peirsol at the turn but the Olympic champion took command over the final 50, pulling away for the win and securing his spot for the world championships in Rome later this month.

While Peirsol stole the spotlight, it was Phelps, the winner of 14 Olympic gold medals, the capacity crowd had come to see.

In his first major test since his record eight gold medal haul at the Beijing Games, Phelps delighted his fans picking up wins in the 200 freestyle and 200 butterfly

"That was the one thing coming here we wanted, we wanted to make the world championships," Phelps said.

"That was the number one goal as soon as we got back into the pool and started training again."

While Phelps is contemplating reshaping his 2012 Olympic programme around shorter distances he is no stranger to the events he won on Wednesday, holding the world record and Olympic gold in both.

The 200 freestyle final featured five members of the U.S. gold medal 4x200m freestyle relay squad from Beijing but they were unable to haul in their team mate who powered home in one minute, 44.23 seconds.

It was the fastest time this year and sixth fastest all time but well off his world mark of 1:42.96.

Phelps was back in the pool less than an hour later, clocking 1:52.76 in the 200 butterfly, again the fastest time in the event this year and fifth fastest of all-time, though he was less than pleased.

"I'm not happy but some of the things that happened today are going to make me swim faster," said Phelps. "I can't really expect to come out here and do a best time right now.

"The times are fine but there are just some other things that are frustrating that I will keep inside to fire me up.

"I'm happy with where I am, all things considered, but deep down inside I'm really only happy and excited when I'm doing best times."

(To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Source

Phelps claims two gold medals at U.S. nationals

Michael Phelps, the 14-time Olympic gold medalist, went 2-for-2 on Wednesday at the U.S. national swimming championships in Indianapolis.

He won the 200-meter butterfly in 1 minute, 52.76 seconds, well off his world record of 1:52.03 set in Beijing in 2008. Earlier in the night, he won the 200 freestyle in 1:44.23.

Aaron Peirsol reclaimed the world record in the 100 backstroke. The Olympic champion won in 51.94 seconds. His previous mark of 52.54 set in Beijing was broken by Aschwin Wildeboer Faber on July 1.

Also, Stanford's Kate Dwelley (Liberty High) was seventh in the women's 200 freestyle in 1:58.57. Cal's Dana Vollmer won in 1:56.20.

College football

After taking its fight to change the Bowl Championships Series to Congress, the Mountain West reluctantly agreed to a BCS TV deal. The conference still doesn't receive an automatic berth to a BCS game but needed to sign the agreement with ESPN so the league's schools would still be eligible to play in one of the top-tier bowls. This doesn't mean the MWC is finished pushing for a playoff. Utah president Michael Young, who testified the day before at a Senate subcommittee, said the MWC had no choice other than to sign the agreement, which runs through the 2013 season. Unbeaten Utah was left out of last season's BCS championship game.

Soccer

Santino Quaranta scored in the 75th minute and Brian Ching

followed with a header in the 79th, giving the United States a 2-0 win against Honduras in Washington, D.C., in CONCACAF Gold Cup play. The Americans (2-0) lead Group B going into their final match against Haiti (1-1) on Saturday in Foxborough, Mass. Honduras (1-1) faces Grenada (0-2). Earlier, Fabrice Noel scored in the 14th minute and James Marcelin added a goal in the 78th, giving Haiti a 2-0 win over Grenada.

NHL

Saku Koivu left Montreal after 13 seasons by signing a one-year deal with Anaheim. Koivu, a two-time All-Star center, was the Canadiens' captain for nearly 10 years, tying Jean Beliveau for longest-serving in the team's 100-year history.

Dallas filled a need for a backup goaltender to Marty Turco, acquiring Alex Auld from Ottawa for a sixth-round draft pick in 2010. The Stars also locked up defenseman Mark Fistric through the 2011-12 season by giving him a $3 million, three-year contract.

Chicago signed restricted free-agent left wing Kris Versteeg to a three-year contract.

Motor sports

NASCAR asked an appeals court to ban Jeremy Mayfield from racing, alleging the participation of "a proven methamphetamine user" could lead to fatal consequences for other competitors. NASCAR wants the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen's decision last week to lift Mayfield's indefinite suspension following a positive drug test. Mayfield attorney John Buric revealed that the Sprint Cup driver/owner was tested twice Monday — once at an independent laboratory and once at his home by NASCAR.

Tennis

Alex Bogomolov Jr. upset fifth-seeded Arnaud Clement 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the rain-hampered Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, R.I.

Track and field

St. Elizabeth High's Ashton Purvis and James Logan's Ciarra Brewer advanced at the World Youth Championships in Sudtirol, Italy. Purvis finished first in her first-round and quarterfinal heats of the women's 100 meters. She had times of 11.57 seconds and 11.68. Brewer, who appears in the July 13 edition of Sports Illustrated, was fourth in her flight of the women's triple jump qualifying at 41 feet, 111/2 inches.

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Phelps wins 2 races, Peirsol sets world mark

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michael Phelps removed his goggles, tore off the two caps he was wearing, tossed them on the deck and turned around to check the scoreboard. He scowled upon seeing the time in yellow lights next to his name.

As expected, the 14-time Olympic gold medalist racked up his second victory of the night at the U.S. national championships Wednesday. It just wasn't up to his exacting standards.

Phelps won the 200-meter butterfly in 1 minute, 52.76 seconds, well off his world record of 1:52.03 set in Beijing.

"I'm not happy about the 200 fly, but I think some of the things that happened are going to be helpful to me to swim faster," he said. "When I'm satisfied is when I'm doing a best time. I'm not used to not doing a best time when I shave and taper."

Phelps was pushed in the next lane by Tyler Clary, a 20-year-old Michigan swimmer who stayed close throughout and finished second in 1:53.64.

"That was one of the greatest swims I've ever done," Clary said. "It was pretty cool. I could see out of the corner of my eye. I was with him at 150 and just being with him was awesome."

Earlier, Phelps won the 200 freestyle, and his two victories earned him a trip to the world championships in Rome later this month, fulfilling the wish of his mother Debbie, who had said last year that she wanted to visit the Eternal City.

"I'm happy with where I'm at all things considered, but I'm really happy with a best time," he said.

Aaron Peirsol created the biggest buzz at the Indiana University Natatorium pool by reclaiming his world record in the 100 backstroke. The Olympic champion trailed Matt Grevers at 50 meters before pouring it on down the stretch to win in 51.94 seconds.

"That's a beautiful race," Peirsol said. "I knew I could do something special."

He became the first person to swim under 52 seconds in the event he has dominated for much of this decade. He has lowered the world record six times.

"The consistency is the thing I've always held myself high on," he said.

Peirsol's previous mark of 52.54 set in Beijing was broken by Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer Faber on July 1. Faber swam 52.38 on the backstroke leg of the 400 medley relay at the Mediterranean Games.

Grevers, the Olympic silver medalist, finished second in 53.11, giving himself another crack at taking down Peirsol in Rome.

Phelps held off David Walters in the closing meters of the 200 free and touched in 1:44.23. Walters settled for second in 1:44.95.

Ryan Lochte was third in 1:45.66. The eight-man field included the 800 freestyle relay team of Phelps, Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay that won at the Beijing Olympics, one of the record eight gold medals won by Phelps.

Walters, who earned a gold in Beijing by swimming the relay heats, also qualified for Rome. It's the first time the 21-year-old sprinter will swim an individual event at a major championship.

Peirsol took back the world record wearing an Arena X-Glide, one of the newer suits approved by swimming's world governing body. He donned the version that covers his legs.

"I feel like if I would have worn another suit, I probably would have broken the world record anyway tonight by the way I was feeling," he said. "That's one race that's coming a little easier for me, and tonight I just felt really good."

That wasn't the case for Katie Hoff.

Her second attempt to qualify for Rome ended in defeat again. She finished eighth and last in the 200 free, leaving her with only one more chance in the 100 free. And even that was in doubt, with her coach Bob Bowman saying they would discuss whether she would swim it.

"Everyone's not Michael Phelps," she said. "He seems to be able to handle a lot of different types of sets and weights, and I don't know how he does it, but my body doesn't work the same way."

Dana Vollmer, a 2004 Olympian, won the race in 1:56.20. Allison Schmidt was second in 1:58.63, following up her win in the 400 free Tuesday.

Dagny Knutson, a promising 17-year-old from Minot, N.D., finished fifth.

Hayley McGregory ended years of bitter disappointment with a victory in the 100 backstroke, earning a spot in the first major international meet of her career.

"I've had a long year and I'm really glad to be here," she said.

The 23-year-old Texan set a world record in the 100 back prelims at last year's Olympic trials, only to have it taken away by Natalie Coughlin in the very next heat.

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Phelps Maintains Gold Standard

INDIANAPOLIS — The United States Swimming National Championships are serving as a stark reminder that while seasons change, fads fade and fresh faces turn tired, there remains one constant: Michael Phelps.

Phelps raced in two events Wednesday night that were part of his 2004 and 2008 Olympic programs — the 200-meter freestyle and 200-meter butterfly — and won both. In the 200 freestyle, Phelps led from the start against a field that included three other Beijing Olympians. His time of 1 minute 44.23 seconds was well off his world record of 1:42.96.

An hour later, Phelps held off Tyler Clary in the 200 butterfly, an event in which he has held the world record since 2001. He was timed in 1:52.76, missing his world mark by 73-hundredths of a second.

In between Phelps’s swims, Aaron Peirsol regained the 100-meter backstroke world record he had held from 2004 until last week, when the Spaniard Aschwin Wildeboer claimed it with a clocking of 52.38. Peirsol, the two-time defending Olympic champion, took it back with a 51.94.

Peirsol, a three-time Olympian, and the 24-year-old Phelps were the old reliables on a night on which a few of their Beijing teammates failed in their bids to qualify for the FINA World Championships in Rome later this month.

Margaret Hoelzer placed third and Elizabeth Beisel was fourth in the 100-meter backstroke and Caroline Burckle finished outside the top 16 in the 200 freestyle. The biggest surprise was Katie Hoff, the American-record holder in the 200 freestyle, who finished eighth in the event.

Phelps’s consistency — indeed, the constancy of his excellence — should not be taken for granted in a year in which he took several months off, gained 20 pounds and endured the public humiliation of being photographed with a marijuana pipe in his hands at a party.

To appreciate how hard it is to stay at the top, one need only look at Hoff, Phelps’s North Baltimore Aquatic Club teammate. She left for Beijing last year with a chance to win six gold medals and returned with a silver and two bronzes.

For most athletes, that would have qualified as a success. For Hoff, who has lived with “the female Phelps” label for six years, it had the whiff of failure.

She changed coaches — but not teams — last fall, leaving Paul Yetter to work with Bob Bowman, who has been the caretaker of Phelps’s career for the past 13 years. Hoff, 20, has struggled to adapt to Bowman’s militaristic style, and changes he made to her freestyle stroke heightened her discomfort.

“Bob and I talked about this being a low-key year,” Hoff said, “but it’s actually been the hardest year of my life.”

A sympathetic Phelps said, “She’s going through a little bump in the road, but I think she’s going to get through it.”

In Hoff’s first event, the 400-meter freestyle on Tuesday, she swam 10 seconds slower than her American record and finished sixth. With the top six finishers earning berths to Rome for relay purposes, the 200 freestyle figured to be her ticket to Italy. But she never posed a challenge to the top two finishers, Dana Vollmer and Allison Schmitt.

After qualifying sixth in the morning, Hoff conducted an interview that sounded like a concession speech. Asked what her expectations were for the final, she said: “Realistically? Dana and Allison and those girls are going to be real tough. I’m just going to do the best I can.”

In 2005, fresh off her first Olympic experience, a teenage Hoff turned professional and signed a 10-year, seven-figure contract with the apparel company Speedo. It seemed all good at the time.

Contractual obligations have precluded Hoff from seeking refuge from the storm clouds that have rolled in this year. One of her fellow Olympians, Natalie Coughlin, is taking this year off, but Hoff said she did not have that luxury.

“It would have been nice,” she said. “The thing is, Natalie’s contract with Speedo is done. She could do that. I didn’t have that ...” Her voice trailed off.

There is a line of aspirants for the ingénue role vacated by Hoff. Leading the way is Elizabeth Pelton, a 15-year-old who is coached by Yetter at North Baltimore Aquatic Club. She was second in the 100-meter backstroke Wednesday behind Hayley McGregory and was second in the 200 individual medley on Tuesday.

Dagny Knutson, 17, a teammate of Pelton on the United States team that competed in the junior Pan Pacific Championships in January, placed fifth in the 200 freestyle, which should qualify her for the World Championship team as a relay alternate.

Nothing is a permanent fit. Certainly not the high-tech suits the swimmers are wearing here as they forsake yesterday’s cutting-edge models for brands that did not exist last year.

Only Phelps seems to stay in one place — first.

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Phelps easily qualifies for 200 free final in Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michael Phelps has qualified fastest for the 200-meter freestyle in his first event at the U.S. national swimming championships.

The 14-time Olympic gold medalist was timed in 1 minute, 46.31 seconds in Wednesday's preliminaries at the Indiana University Natatorium.

Phelps advanced to the evening final, when he'll swim for a berth in the world championships later this month in Rome. Also moving on were Olympians Peter Vanderkaay, who was 11-hundredths of a second behind Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Ricky Berens.

Later today, Phelps will swim the 200 butterfly preliminaries.

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Michael Phelps ads prove a new cultural tolerance of marijuana

Super-swimmer Michael Phelps returned to big-time advertising Sunday with a TV spot for Subway titled "Be Yourself." Oh, the irony.

Surely Phelps -- 14-time Olympic gold medalist and endorsement juggernaut -- was being only himself, only human, when he was photographed in November hitting a bong at a party at the University of South Carolina. That photograph, first published by the British tabloid News of the World in January, resulted in a three-month competition ban and cost Phelps a reported $500,000 deal with Kellogg. The swimmer promptly issued a sniveling apology, copping to "regrettable," "inappropriate" and "youthful" behavior (doesn't the latter want to excuse the former?). Phelps, 24, has more or less cheerfully dined on PR ashes ever since, in interviews with Matt Lauer, among others.

Interestingly, the apology from the world's fittest stoner infuriated proponents of legal weed, who saw the episode as a missed opportunity to advance the cause. After all, if Aqua-Man smokes bud, how bad can it be?

This is the greatest Olympian of all time, a man chandeliered with gold medals on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His achievements mock the moral hysteria that traditionally rains down on marijuana.

The Subway ad itself is nothing special. It's a compare-and-contrast between Phelps' glamorous life as a sports superstar and that of Jared Fogle, Subway's former-fatty mascot. Jared prefers the low-fat sweet-onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwich, while metabolic dynamo Phelps dares to eat the foot-long Meatball Marinara with Jalapeño, containing 1,060 calories and more than 3,000 milligrams of sodium.

Eating these will not make you an Olympic swimmer. A floating island, maybe.

Culture deconstructionists will pick the spot apart for oblique references to the scandal. Phelps' chin whiskers are kind of bro-ish, for instance. He does look a trifle baked (could be the chlorine). AdWeek's Eleftheria Parpis wrote that "you can almost hear all the blunts lighting up in support as Sly & The Family Stone's 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)' kicks in."

And it really is too bad that the sandwich franchise's website is subwayfreshbuzz.com.

Even so, the Phelps-bong scandal seems to have been safely put to bed, and now that it has, it's worth asking, what have we learned? The consequences to Phelps -- actually, the lack of consequences -- suggest that something bigger than mere endorsement dollars is in play. It seems Phelps has moved the weed needle.

Yes, USA Swimming, the sport's national governing body, suspended Phelps for three months, time he used to whip himself into shape after his post-Olympic bacchanal. (The organization also withheld its monthly stipend, an amount that probably wouldn't put gas in Phelps' Bentley.)

Yes, Kellogg declined to re-up with Phelps, but tellingly, other endorsement deals remained intact: Speedo, Omega, Subway and Mazda China. Subway didn't hesitate to stand by its man (though it did postpone the current ad campaign six months to let the agita die down). Mazda required Phelps to record a minute-long mea culpa directed at the people of China -- mortifying but harmless. In June, Phelps inked a deal with H2O Audio, maker of high-end waterproof headphones.

In other words, there were no serious consequences. To the extent that endorsement opportunities are a rough metric of how well someone in public life is liked, admired, respected, the bong-heard-round-the-world scandal might as well never have happened. With the benefit of hindsight, Kellogg execs might well be kicking themselves.

You could ascribe the missing fallout to Phelps' incredible personal magnetism or -- far more likely -- to the fact that advertisers saw little downside to being associated with bong-meister Phelps.

Nor should they. Across the board, marijuana is being steadily decriminalized and de-stigmatized. In a Field Poll in May, 56% of Californians favored legalization, slightly ahead of the roughly half of Americans who favor such a move. Thirteen states have legalized medical marijuana, and three more are considering it. In a dozen states, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is not illegal. One hundred million Americans have smoked pot, and about 14 million use it regularly, according to federal government studies. U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder has said the federal government would no longer raid California medical marijuana dispensaries.

Ethan Nadelmann, of the legalization-advocacy group Drug Policy Alliance, told the Associated Press last month: "This is the first time I feel like the wind is at my back and not in my face."

I'm sure, given the choice, Phelps would prefer not to be a milestone on the road to the marijuana's mainstreaming. Still, what we're witnessing is the death of a certain kind of shame.

Advertising -- and that's what celebrity-athlete endorsements are -- is a highly sensitive antenna of culture. Because it strives to reach, hold and please the greatest number of people, it represents a special threshold of cultural acceptance, the floorboards of the norm. The return of brand Phelps says more about us than it does about him.

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Michael Phelps Says Knutson is Focused

Michael Phelps has nothing but good things to say about Dagny Knutson, Minot`s swimming star.

The 17-year-old is competing this week in the U.S. Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.

She has made a name for herself in the swimming world including competing in the olympic trials, breaking Olympian Katie Hoffs record in the 400 meter individual medley at the short course nationals, and earning countless medals. Recently, she was featured in an article in Sports Illustrated Magazine.

Today, at a press conference in Indianapolis, 14-time Gold Medalist Michael Phelps told reporters, "You can tell when you`re working out that she`s focused on what she`s doing and she`s focused on her goals. So as long as she continues that I think she`s going to be fine."

Phelps trained with Knutson this summer in Colorado springs.

Knutson races Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. With a strong showing this week at the US National Championships, Knutson will make a strong case for the 2012 London Olympic team. Knutson has already shown she can beat the worlds best when she defeated Katie Hoff at the Charlotte UltraSwim back in May. She will need to finish 1st or 2nd this week in any of the events to qualify for the World Championships in Rome.

"It`s very nice. Even though I have one race a day with prelims and finals and being your very best for every race, so one day off is really good just before the last day," says Knutson.

Matt Lowe is also competing this week at the championships.

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Michael Phelps is Subway's new pitch man

Indianapolis - It was lunchtime at a downtown Subway, but customers found themselves locked out. That's because the chain's newest pitchman was out of the pool and on his way.

Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps stopped by for commercial footage and to learn the basics of sandwich-making from Indy's own Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle.

It was a rare time-out for an athlete hoping to once again make waves, this time in the USA Swimming nationals held at the IU Natatorium this week.

Phelps has a fondness for meatball subs and Indianapolis. He made his first Olympic team here in 2000.

"The crowd is always amazing. People are cool and one of the coolest things is the crowd here is always yelling and screaming and the cheering makes it more exciting and you swim faster," Phelps said.

Phelps works out five hours a day, six days a week, and consumes upwards of 7,000 calories a day.

As for what Phelps does when he isn't swimming or eating, "I just hang out and veg. It's pretty low key," he said.

Whether he's in the pool or out of it, Phelps always draws a crowd.

"I work upstairs and people told me Michael helps was downstairs. I have no shame. I put my face up against the glass," said Meredith Smith.

"I thought it wasn't real. It's like, hey, Michael Phelps is walking out of subway," said a teenage boy.

Laid back and relaxed out of the pool, the superstar swimmer hopes his celebrity helps the sport and inspires kids.

"The biggest thing is dream big and never give up. Growing up I wanted to be an Olympic gold medalist and it didn't matter what pushed in my way - I went through ups and downs and I put my mind to it," he said.

As for other things, we had to ask: Is he dating anyone?

"That's part of my personal life. You guys know everything. I gotta keep something to myself!" he said, smiling.

The USA Swimming Nationals start Tuesday and runs through Saturday July 11th.

Every day:
Doors open at 7:30a.m.
Preliminaries start at 9:00a.m. immediately followed by Time Trials.
Athlete Autograph Sessions in the Gym are at 4:30 p.m. up until the Finals which begin at 6 p.m.

Click here for the competition schedule and ticket prices.

The following is the TV broadcast schedule for the ConocoPhillips National Championships/World Championship Team Trials:

• Tuesday, July 7

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Universal Sports (Live)

• Wednesday, July 8

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Universal Sports (Live)

• Saturday, July 11

1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
NBC (Taped)

• Sunday, July 12

2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
NBC (Taped)

Also, all Prelims and Finals sessions will be webcast live on Swimnetwork.com. Swimnetwork will also be hosting a "pre-game show" each evening as an in-venue and webcast lead-up to the finals.

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Phelps, Fogle pair up in Subway ad

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Indiana's own Jared Fogle is teaming up with Olympic gold medalist and world champion Michael Phelps.

As Phelps prepares to compete in the national championships in Indy , he took a quick lunch break with Subway's national spokesperson.

The new commercials feature Fogle and Phelps, showing people how you can be yourself at Subway and that you can pick whatever you want.

In the commercial, Fogle even shows Phelps the proper way to make a sandwich.

In case you're curious, it takes at least six sandwiches to stretch the length of Phelps' arms. 

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