OMAHA, Neb. -- In roughly 30 minutes last night at the Qwest Center, Ryan Lochte swam the second-fastest 200-meter backstroke ever and the third-fastest 200-meter individual medley ever.
And neither time was good enough to win.
That's because Aaron Peirsol and Michael Phelps both produced world-record times in those events, highlighting what was by far the most exciting night to date at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.
Dara Torres - a 41-year-old with asthma who came out of retirement after the birth of her daughter, Tessa, two years ago - made her fifth Olympic team by winning the women's 100-meter freestyle. She's the first American swimmer, man or woman, to make five Olympic teams.
For Phelps, it was another signature performance in a career full of them. He wasn't ahead of world-record pace until the final 50 meters, but he exploded off the last wall (as he often does) and cruised home with a smooth freestyle leg, holding off Lochte and touching the wall in 1 minute, 54.80 seconds.
That was 0.18 of a second faster than his old mark, set in Melbourne last year. Phelps, who also broke a world record the first night of the trials in the 400-meter individual medley, thrust two fingers into the air in celebration, then pumped his right fist several times as fireworks exploded on the pool deck.
When Phelps' night was over, though, he wanted to talk more about his friend Lochte than he did his world record. Lochte's time in the 200 IM (1:55.22) came right after he and Peirsol dueled to the closest finish of the week in the 200-meter backstroke. Peirsol tied the world record (1:54.32), out-touching Lochte at the wall by 0.02 of a second (1:54:34).
"That's probably one of the best doubles I've ever seen," Phelps said. "To be .02 off the world record against Peirsol, and then to go the third-fastest time in the 200 IM within 25 minutes, that's pretty impressive. ... Every time I race him, it takes a world record to win."
The buzz around the pool this week has had people wondering what the swimming world might be like for Lochte if Phelps did not exist. Would he be considered the best in the world? Would he perhaps have a shot at Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals?
It's a strange thing to ask about someone who hasn't even won an event this week. It even fired up Phelps when he read yesterday afternoon that Lochte is the only man who doesn't swim for second place when he goes up against Phelps.
