US trials perfect warm-up for red-hot Beijing bid

小臭贝

OMAHA, Nebraska (AFP) - Michael Phelps set up a run at Olympic history and US swimmers set a tone with nine world records set or matched at the US Olympic swimming trials that ended here on Sunday.

Four Olympic champions booked tickets to defend individual titles in Beijing, while the strength in depth that was on display in a meet that drew some 20,000 spectators a day signalled to the world that the Americans will again be the targets in the Water Cube.

And US coaches said they believed they could still squeeze a little more speed out of the swimmers who emerged from the rigorous selection process before the Olympics begin on August 8.

"Watching the trials, it was pretty obvious that in many cases athletes didn't swim their races how they would normally swim," said team head coach and general manager Mark Schubert.

"I think that is due to the fact that when the horn goes off, that is the moment you have to make the Olympic team.

"Our coaches will do a lot to correct that between here and the next meet," he said. "As fast as swimming was here, I do think we have potential to go a lot faster."

Phelps's coach Bob Bowman said that held true for the team's undisputed superstar.

"I feel like that while we came in here really ready, that we could have done some more things to have him better, which is nice to know at this point," Bowman said.

Phelps notched two world records (200m and 400m medley) en route to five victories in five events.

Phelps also won the 200m freestyle, the 200m butterfly and 100m butterfly. And he unequivocally staked his claim to a 4x100m freestyle relay berth with a time of 47.92 in the heats before withdrawing from the event.

With five individual events and three relays on the horizon, Phelps will have his shot at breaking the record of seven gold medals at one Games set by Mark Spitz at Munich in 1972.

Aaron Peirsol, who matched the 200m backstroke world record, earned a chance to defend the 100m and 200m backstroke titles he won in Athens.

Natalie Coughlin, who twice broke the 100m backstroke world record en route to winning here, will defend that title, and Amanda Beard earned a chance to defend her 200m breaststroke gold.

If Phelps falters, in many cases the man waiting to pounce will be another American - Ian Crocker in the 100m butterfly and Ryan Lochte in the 200m, and 400m medleys.

Lochte, who shares the world record with Peirsol, will also be gunning for the 200m backstroke gold.

In addition to world records, the trials saw a stream of swimmers post personal best times that thrust them into the medal picture in Beijing.

Garrett Weber-Gale, who arrived in Omaha with a personal best time of 48.50 in the 100m free, departed with a top time of 47.78.

Jason Lezak, who owns a top time of 47.58, will complete a strong US challenge in swimming's prestige event.

"We have a very strong men's team," Schubert said. "On the women's side the Australians are unquestionably the number one team in the world. We are kind of the underdogs."

However, the trials showed American women have made some gains, and the women, too, boast a potential break-out star in Katie Hoff, whose approach in winning five individual events in Omaha was described by Schubert as "Phelps-esque."

Hoff set a 400m individual medley world record on the opening day of the meet, and went on to win the 200m medley and the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyles.

In addition to defending her 100m backstroke title, Coughlin will also tackle the 100m free and the 200m individual medley.

A sign of just how tough it was to qualify for the US team at the talent-packed trials, Hayley McGregory failed to make it after setting a 100m back world mark in the heats.

Margaret Hoelzer snatched the second 100m back berth, then lowered the world record in the 200m backstroke, in which she'll seek to add Olympic gold to the world title she won last year.

The trials also produced what promises to be one of the Games' most intriguing stories, as 41-year-old Dara Torres, the mother of a two-year-old daughter, punched her ticket to a fifth Olympic Games - 24 years after her first.

"We have an unusual mix of young and 'a little older,'" said women's head coach Jack Bauerle. "We are excited. We have a lot to prove."