U.S. Nationals Day 2: Phelps Takes 49th Career National Title

  PHELPS TAKES 49TH CAREER NATIONAL TITLE

IRVINE, Calif. – With wins in the men’s 200m free and 200m butterfly Wednesday at the 2010 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships, Michael Phelps now holds more national titles than any other swimmer in history with 49, surpassing the 48 titles held by swimming legend Tracy Caulkins.

His performance in the 200m free was the fastest time in the world this year, edging Ryan Lochte 1:45.61 to 1:45.78.

In that race, Phelps led the field the entire way, but Lochte drew to within a hundredth of a second at the 150 meter mark. The two then went stroke for stroke to the wall, with Phelps gaining the edge.

Peter Vanderkaay, who won last night’s 400m free was third in 1:46.84, while Ricky Berens was fourth in 1:47.09. Phelps, Lochte, Vanderkaay and Berens teamed up to set the world record and win gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

“Whenever I have a chance to race these guys, we’re really able to bring the best out of each other,” Phelps said.
Lochte’s time was the second-fastest in the world this year.

“The whole race felt solid,” Lochte said. “I knew (Phelps) was going to go out fast. I just tried to stay up with him and save as much energy as possible and then hammer that last 50.”

Phelps was less than pleased with his effort in the 200m butterfly, where he took first in 1:56.00. Mark Dylla was second in 1:56.00, followed by Tyler Clary in 1:57.32.

Phelps led by a body length for most of the race, but just didn’t have the swim he had hoped for.

“It was absolutely awful,” Phelps said. “I think it’s just I’m not in the best shape to do those back-to-back races like that right now. It just didn’t feel good at all. My stroke didn’t feel good from the start, and I chopped two of my walls.

“The bottom line right now is that I’m not in shape and it shows. You could definitely tell in that last race. It was probably the worst 200 fly of my life. That’s not even a top five time in the world, and in my eyes (that’s not acceptable).”

It’s been a long time since Natalie Coughlin lost the women’s 100m backstroke at a major national-level meet, and she wouldn’t be upset tonight, either. Coughlin held off the field in the final 20 meters of the race for the win, turning in a time of 1:00.14. Melissa Franklin, a member of the 2009 National Youth Team was second in 1:00.29, nipping third-place finisher, National Teamer Rachel Bootsma, by a hundredth of a second.

Coughlin’s time was 10th in the world this year, and she qualified for the U.S. Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships Team by virtue of her first-place finish.

“I thought I’d go a lot faster tonight, but I guess I got caught up in the moment of it all trying to qualify for the Pan Pac Team,” Coughlin said. “Thankfully with 25 (meters) to go, I was able to get my head back in it.”

David Plummer won his first national title in the men’s 100m back with the sixth-fastest time in the world this year, edging Olympic champion and world record-holder Aaron Peirsol by three-hundredths of a second in 53.60.
Nick Thoman, the short course world record-holder in the 100m back, led the pack by 35-hundredths at the turn, but Plummer and Peirsol moved to the front as they headed down the homestretch, setting up a four-way race for first. Thoman was third in 53.78, while Olympic silver medalist Matt Grevers was fourth in 54.00.

Prior to tonight’s race, Peirsol had not lost in the finals of the 100m backstroke at a USA Swimming National Championships since 2000.

“This means everything,” Plummer said. “I think the biggest thing coming in here was a few of the big races I had this summer. They were a big confidence booster coming into this, knowing that I can compete with these guys and get my hand on the wall for the win. To be able to walk away with a gold medal from a field like this makes me believe I can be the best in the world.”

Allison Schmitt surged ahead of the pack in the final 50 meters of the race for the win in the women’s 200m freestyle, out-touching Dana Vollmer 1:56.84 to 1:56.93.

Vollmer led the race through the third turn, but Schmitt’s strong finish made the difference in this one. Katie Hoff, who finished first in last night’s 400m freestyle, was third in 1:57.50, while Morgan Scroggy was fourth in 1:57.56.
Schmitt’s time was the second-fastest in the world this year. She was the silver medalist in this event at World Championships last year and will now represent the U.S. in two weeks at the Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships.

This year’s ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships will decide the U.S. team roster for a number of international competitions in the next year, including the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships, the 2010 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, the 2010 FINA Short Course World Championships, the 2011 FINA World Championships and the 2011 World University Games. Team rosters will be posted on usaswimming.org as they are released.
 
The meet resumes tomorrow with prelims and finals of the women’s 100m breaststroke, men’s 100m butterfly, women’s 50m freestyle, men’s 50m freestyle and women’s 400m IM. Complete results can be found at usaswimming.org/nationals.