Bob Bowman

Michael Phelps will not chase eight gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. His coach Bob Bowman tweeted late Monday morning that the Olympian will not race in the 200-meter freestyle , giving him a slate of seven events in London. "I think it's just smarter," Phelps said Monday. "Sort of thinking of everything and thinking how things went here, I think it's just a better option for me to be able to swim as best I can. And it's going to give me the best opportunity to swim well.

OMAHA -- While the advance buzz over the Olympic swimming trials has been over whether Michael Phelps will swim the 400-meter individual medley, the women's 400 IM has a bit of intrigue of its own. Katie Hoff, who trained at North Baltimore Aquatic Club in the years leading to the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, let drop Saturday that she's not swimming the notoriously taxing medley -- a race for which she holds the American record and one that showcases...

Swim coach Bob Bowman's rustic retreat in Monkton is filled with personal touches that make the place his own. But there's not a tchotchke in sight. With the guidance of designer Seth Foster of Baltimore's Foster Knott LLC, Bowman learned how to incorporate his hobbies and passions into the design of his home but without clutter and distracting collectibles — eye noise that often trips up people when they try to make a show home their show home. Here's a few tricks Foster showed Bowman: Elegant Not Random: Bowman adores horses.

OMAHA, Neb. - Michael Phelps' 27th birthday began with Ryan Lochte trying to crash if not his party, then his 100-meter butterfly race . It's a long-standing part of Phelps' racing portfolio, and while Lochte had registered for it, he was expected to scratch because he already had two races Saturday night, including a big one against Phelps, the 200individual medley. Instead, he opted to challenge Phelps in another race, and the Baltimore swimmer took the biggest piece of cake of the night.

Satisfaction remained an elusive concept for Michael Phelps . Disappointment? Exhaustion? Yes, those were in reach. But maybe it was a mixture of both after Phelps, who lives in Fells Point, won the 200-meter butterfly Wednesday night at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in 1 minute, 54.11 seconds. This was, after all, a far cry from his most recent experience in the event, a win at the nationals here earlier this month. It was a race he called probably his "worst" 200 fly ever.

Ah, the good old days… Turning our lonely eyes to Aussie legends Thorpey and Klimey and remembering how American Gary Hall Jr. once set off a firestorm when he spoke about smashing the Australians like guitars. You might say with Ian Thorpe, Michael Klim and Hall now retired that the vaunted Aussie-U.S. swim rivalry has landed in the remainder bin. Not exactly. How about relocated? It all has, in a sense, gone more global, a fact expected to be fully on display with competitors from 21 countries on hand at the Pan Pacific Championships.

INDIANAPOLIS - Bob Bowman, the man who coaches Baltimore's Michael Phelps, didn't know what to expect from Phelps at the 2005 world championship trials, but he liked what he saw. "We wanted to find out where his conditioning is and where he is is not a bad place," Bowman said. "I think he got better every day he was here and I can see places where he can get better almost immediately. He can improve the 100 [freestyle] right now by improving his start." Bowman also wanted options going into the July World Championships.

Each morning, Monday through Friday, we'll hook you up with some reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday. ** Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis arrived at training camp Wednesday. Find out why you just might not recognize him this year . ** Safety Ed Reed made his way to Owings Mills for training camp as well , shutting down talks that he may hold out for part of the preseason. ** There were also some new faces to go with the old at Ravens camp.

Previewing what he might swim in his final Olympics in London, Michael Phelps has entered seven races in next week's qualifying trials - including the exciting but exhausting 400-meter individual medley. The question of how the Baltimore swimmer would cap off his already golden Olympic career this summer has been the subject of much speculation. His entry list for the swimming trials, which begin in Omaha, Neb., on Monday, at least partially answers that: The 200- and 400-meter individual medleys, the 100- and 200-meter butterflys, the 100- and 200-meter freestyles and the 200-meter backstroke.

OMAHA, Neb. - It's on: Michael Phelps will seek to qualify for the London Olympics in the 400-meter individual medley Monday morning, a grueling event that he just can't seem to quit. The event will open the trials here, as well as the Games themselves in July. Phelps owns the race, or at least the national and world records for it, but he enters the trials seeded third, to his prime rival Ryan Lochte and the swimmer who said this weekend that he doubted the Baltimore swimmer would try to qualify in it, Tyler Clary.