Swimmers

If Michael Phelps is going to come in second to Ryan Lochte, as he did again Tuesday night, he may find some comfort in the whisper of this particular margin: the Baltimore swimmer finished .02 seconds behind his rival in their semifinal heat in the 200-meter freestyle. The two, who are battling for swimming supremacy at the Olympic qualifying trials , faceoff in the finals Wednesday night that will decide which two swimmers will go on to compete in the event in London. "At this point right now, it's about getting spots on the team," said Phelps after the heat.

Monday was a big night for Gregg Troy, swim coach at the University of Florida and the U.S. men's team going to the Olympics. Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay, Conor Dwyer and Elizabeth Beisel all qualified for the Olympics on Monday, the first day of the swimming trials, and all are coached by Troy. "I think it's a true testament to how great of a coach he is," said Beisel, who won the women's 400-meter individual medley. "He truly is the best coach in the world. " Lochte, who won the men's 400 IM and qualified with second-place finisher Michael Phelps, said Troy's tough training has him ready for a big trials, and Olympics.

Three men swimming in the Chesapeake Bay had to be rescued by the Coast Guard on Monday afternoon after being pulled about a mile from their boat by a strong current. According to the Coast Guard, five men were on the boat Speak Easy, a cabin cruiser, near Kent Island in the bay when three decided to go swimming and jumped off the boat. About 2:45 p.m., one of the men on the boat called the Coast Guard in Baltimore for help, after realizing his friends could not make it back to the boat because of the current and he nor the other man on board did not know how to drive the boat to them, said Petty Officer Jonathan Lindberg, of the Coast Guard.

Ah, summer. A time for all sorts of fun activities - hikes, cookouts, pool days, bike rides and more. And ow, summer. A time for all kinds of seasonal injuries and health emergencies. such as burns from the grill, tick bites, heat stroke and swimmers ear. Be prepared with our Summer Survival Guide - we identify nine common summer ailments, explain what they look like and detail how to treat them. Our focus is on how to respond, but doctors note that the best way to enjoy your summer is by practicing prevention: wear sunscreen and bug spray, cover up when hiking in the woods and drink lots of water on hot days.

The body of a swimmer who disappeared Sunday near Howell Point on the Eastern Shore, was recovered by the Maryland Natural Resources Police Monday. Brandon M. Greene, 21, of Edgewood, was reported missing shortly before 2 p.m. on Sunday, authorities said. The boaters with whom he was traveling had stopped off Howell Point in Kent County to go swimming when they noticed he was missing. Boat crews from Coast Guard Station Still Pond in Kent County, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland Natural Resources Police and Kent County Fire Rescue and helicopters from the Maryland State Police and Coast Guard Station Atlantic City, N.J., joined in the search of 80 square miles over nine hours.

This Baltimore swimmer hopes to add to an already heavy stash of medals in London this summer. But in addition to training for the qualifying trials in June, there are multiple promotional demands of an Olympic year: modeling the Ralph Lauren-designed athletes attire, shooting commercials for sponsors such as Coke and speaking at media roundtables like the one held here Sunday. It's no wonder that sometimes, you just want to go and get a pretty manicure. "I call them my 'me' dates.

Patrick Husson has come a long way since walking on to the UMBC swimming team as a freshman in the fall of 2010. Now, he's one of three Retrievers hoping to compete in his country's Olympic swimming trials for a spot in the Summer Games in London. Husson will participate in the U.S. trials in June in Omaha, Neb., for a chance to be one of two swimmers to represent his country in the 200-meter breaststroke. "I have nothing to lose and I'm just having a blast with training and preparing for this meet.

INDIANAPOLIS - For someone who has lived much of his life in long, four-year arcs, Michael Phelps packed a lot into an eventful couple of days here. The Baltimore swimmer thrilling the crowd on the last night of the Indianapolis Grand Prix with a blazing win in a marquee match-up against Ryan Lochte, the friend and rival he is expected to duel in the London Olympics this summer. Phelps led each leg of the 200-meter individual medley Saturday, finishing with the fastest time in the world this year, 1 minute 56.31 seconds.

That door Michael Phelps keeps slamming on ever again swimming the exhausting 400-meter individual medley race? Apparently, it's a revolving one. After the Baltimore swimmer raced to a record-setting finish in the 400 IM at the Indianapolis Grand Prix Friday night, he said that there was a chance he would add the event to his still secret line-up in the Olympics this summer. "Who knows?" an exuberant Phelps said when asked if this really, really, really was the last time he would swim the race he swore off after the 2008 Olympics, but has since returned to multiple times.