Freestyle

Michael Phelps concluded an eventful week with an outstanding performance in the 500-yard freestyle and two other victories at the Maryland Local Swimming Committee Championships at the U.S. Naval Academy's Lejeune Hall last night. On Thursday, Phelps suffered a rare loss, although it wasn't in the pool. In what the U.S. Olympic Committee called "a very close vote," five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong edged Phelps for its Sportsman of the Year honor. Last night's program began with Beth Botsford, who won Olympic gold in 1996 for the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, handing out assorted Maryland Swimmer of the Year honors for 2003.

MONTREAL - Already having accomplished so much in the sport of swimming, Baltimore's Michael Phelps came into the FINA World Championships eager to test his weaknesses, not his strengths. And so, thumbing his nose at conventional wisdom, he dropped two events he was sure to dominate - the 200-meter butterfly and the 400 individual medley - and added two events in which he is merely mortal: The 100 and 400 freestyle. The experiment, ambitious as it was, failed to pay off in medals yesterday, as Phelps finished seventh in the 100 freestyle, just four days after he missed the 400 freestyle final entirely.

C. Milton Wright coach Bill Lang knew his team would have to step up its effort yesterday at Magnolia Middle School if it was to defend its Harford County boys swimming title. "One of our better swimmers was ruled ineligible for this meet this morning, so I knew we'd have our hands full," Lang said. "They did better than I expected." Better indeed. The Mustangs won two individual events and broke the county record in the 200-yard freestyle relay by swimming a 1:34.94. The previous record of 1:35.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Shortly after Michael Phelps finished the 200-meter freestyle last night, Mark Schubert, the venerable coach of the U.S. swim team, walked down onto the pool deck inside Qwest Center and threw an arm around the Rodgers Forge native. Schubert leaned in close and said something in Phelps' ear that made the 23-year-old chuckle. Phelps had just touched the wall in 1 minute, 44.10 seconds, which, in addition to being the third-fastest time in the history of the 200, also earned Phelps a second spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

AUSTIN, Texas - Michael Phelps didn't show much rust in his return to competitive swimming yesterday. In his first race at the American short-course championships, the 200-yard freestyle, Phelps broke an American record that Matt Biondi has held since 1987. Phelps swam a 1:32.08, which shattered Biondi's benchmark of 1:33.03, which was set in the same pool. Phelps also set a United States open record with that time. "That was amazing," University of Texas coach Eddie Reese said as Phelps completed his record swim.

INDIANAPOLIS - Swimming's man of distinction experienced a rarity last night. Michael Phelps lost a race for the first time since last July, as South African Ryk Neethling beat him in the 200 freestyle at the Counsilman Classic. Complaining of a sour stomach, Phelps was then a last-minute scratch from the 400 individual medley. The most versatile swimmer in the world is also its sturdiest; Phelps last pulled out of a race in 1997. This morning's preliminaries will determine if Phelps will compete in the 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke tonight.

AUBURN, Ala. - The public address announcer paused for effect when he got to Lane 5 in the 200-meter individual medley yesterday at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center. "A man who needs no introduction," the announcer began, "but we're going to do it anyway." After a rushed recap of his many distinctions from 2003, Michael Phelps opened the Olympic year with more of the same. His victories in the 200 IM and 100 freestyle spiced what was supposed to be a routine dual meet between Auburn, the nation's premier college swim program, and Southern California.

CLOVIS, Calif. - Michael Phelps, the 16-year-old Towson High School junior, was taken to school last night by the big boys in the 200-meter freestyle at the USA National Swimming Championships in this sweltering central California town. Phelps, who swims for North Baltimore Aquatic Club, clocked 1 minute, 51.73 seconds, beating his career-best time in the event by several seconds. It earned him sixth place. He was more than four seconds behind U.S. Olympic team captain Josh Davis, 28, who set a U.S. open mark of 1:47.

PARK CITY, Utah - Listening to freestyle aerial skiers talk shop is like eavesdropping on two latte makers at Starbucks. Their chatter is sprinkled with "half-half" and "full-double-full," but they're not talking about caffeine and steamed skim milk. Aerialists are the trick ponies of skiing, and those halves and fulls are types of somersaults, their stock in trade. The freestyle event became part of the Olympics in 1994, two years after the other discipline, moguls, did. Skiers reach speeds of 35 mph on takeoff from the ramp, known as a kicker, and perform acrobatics while three stories in the air before the ground rushes up to meet them at the bottom of the hill.

ATHENS - The three swimmers stood poolside, hopping and embracing repeatedly. The other, Kaitlin Sandeno, stayed in the pool, beaming, and tried to twirl, which is also awfully difficult to do in a swimming pool. The four women - Sandeno, Natalie Coughlin, Dana Vollmer and Carly Piper - won the 800-meter freestyle relay last night at the Olympic Aquatic Centre. While doing so, they removed a 17-year-old record, a mark once seen as inglorious and tainted. Until the American quartet swam 800 meters in 7 minutes, 53.42 seconds, the former East Germany held the record.