Individual Medley

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.

LONG BEACH, Calif. - With swirling breezes blowing off Long Beach Harbor, the open-air pool was supposed to be choppy and slow. With another five events in front of him, Michael Phelps surely would conserve energy on opening night of the U.S. Olympic trials for swim ming. No chance. Phelps began the meat of the Olympic year the way he ended 2003's championship season, with a world record. He had an empty tank when he capped last year by lowering his own standard in the 200-meter individual medley.

BARCELONA, Spain - Michael Phelps' fan club almost didn't make it to the swimming world championships. The six-person entourage left Baltimore on Friday and didn't arrive in Barcelona until Sunday, a day later than planned. A wildcat strike by British Airways workers at London's Heathrow Airport canceled their connecting flight and led to a 15-hour delay, which could have been longer if not for some quick talking onto an Air France flight. "We were standing in a boarding line when our flight, and all British Airways flights, were canceled," said Debbie Phelps, Michael's mother.

CLOVIS, Calif. - Towson teen phenom Michael Phelps took a second giant step toward achieving his goal of representing the United States in four events at the 2004 Olympic Games. The 16-year-old blew away a tough, veteran field to win the 200-meter individual medley last night at the USA Swimming National Championships. His time, 2:00.86, would have placed him third at last month's World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. The win came exactly 24 hours after he won the 100-meter butterfly in 53.15 seconds.

At 6 feet 4, 190 pounds, Mike Wheeler's physical stature has been the source of several nicknames from friends. "Gigantor" is one. "Sasquatch" and "Bigfoot," both references to his size-14 shoes, are others.But those same attributes are Wheeler's strength in the water, where the powerfully constructed swimmer has earned accolades locally and nationally."Being big helps because my long arms and big feet help to pull me through the water. My size gives me an advantage over those who are smaller," said Wheeler, a 17-year-old junior who also sings in the school choir, is a few steps from achieving Eagle Scout honors and is a regular on McDonogh's honor roll.

ATLANTA -- Ireland's Michelle Smith has been under an international microscope since she arrived at the XXVI Olympiad. Her age and her incredible improvement over the past couple of years have left her under an umbrella of steroid-related suspicion, and a recent International Olympic Committee ruling that stretched the entry requirements for one of her events only added to the cloud of controversy.Through it all, she has made herself the winningest athlete so far of the 1996 Atlanta Games, shaking off a slight shoulder injury to win last night's 200-meter individual medley and her third gold medal.

ATLANTA -- The pressure rolled off Tom Dolan like the cool water that carried him to the United States' first gold medal of the XXVI Olympiad. He punched the air that has been both friend and enemy during his spectacular swimming career and bathed in the light of 14,000 smiles."

How hot it will beTemperature: High 95, low 73Forecast: Rain expected, with high humidityMain eventThe first swimming finals are tonight, in the women's 100-meter freestyle and 400 individual medley and the men's 100 breaststroke and 200 freestyle. U.S. hopes will ride mostly on Jenny Thompson, the former world-record holder in the 100 freestyle; breaststroker Kurt Grote, a two-time NCAA champion; and Josh Davis, the sixth-fastest American ever in the 200 free.Best of the restDream Team III makes its debut against Argentina at 10 p.m. with a host of questions to answer, all created by the phenomenal success of Dream Team I at Barcelona.

Upstart South Carroll came within five points of springing one of the biggest upsets in the Central Maryland Swim League's 23-year history.In the opening week of the season, South Carroll, promoted over the winter from Division II to I, lost to five-time defending champion Padonia, 244-239. Padonia went on to win the rest of its meets and finished the season with a 30-meet winning streak, a league record."Considering there are 488 points in a meet, a five-point difference is very close," said Padonia's Chuck LaBerge, who this year succeeded Andover's David Rave as CMSL president.