Sometimes, It’s Nice to Be Wrong

Column by John Lohn, Swimming World senior writer

BASKING RIDGE, New Jersey, March 14. HELLO, my name is John and I should have known better. Yes, I am admitting to a problem – jumping the gun. A few months back, I wrote a column that, at one point, wondered if Michael Phelps would return to the form we've long known and appreciated. Although the piece suggested he could regain his former status, I should have known better than to question the greatest Olympian in history.

So, today, I admit to my error and for that moment of incredible insanity. A little more than a week after he left Indianapolis with five victories and five No. 1 world-ranked times, it is quite apparent that Mr. Phelps is on the right track toward London, site of the 2012 Olympic Games. Really, could we have expected anything less? Well, this writer temporarily did.

Given the way he performed during what is almost guaranteed to be his last trip to the IU Natatorium, basically where the Phelps legacy began in 2000, the 16-time Olympic medalist looks like he is again focused on his workload and what needs to be done for next summer. There isn't any argument that Phelps, in the time since the 2008 Beijing Games, had not placed his entire emphasis on training. His coach, Bob Bowman, has confirmed as much, and so has Phelps.

Now, however, the attitude has changed, and this is where I made my monster mistake. Sure, Phelps has nothing left to prove in the sport. If he walked away tomorrow, we may never see anyone like him ever again. But with Phelps planning his competitive farewell in London, it was foolish to believe he wouldn't put himself in position to excel at that meet. This writer should have known that Phelps would eventually ratchet up the intensity and get it together.

That has happened.

Prior to his performances in Indianapolis, Phelps took part in one of his familiar high-altitude training camps in Colorado Springs. He came off of that training camp in strong form and reeled off five superb swims, including a sub-49 clocking in the 100 freestyle and a 1:56-and-change effort in the 200 individual medley. He also topped the world charts in the 100 and 200 butterfly events, along with the 200 freestyle. The message was sent: Phelps is back and ready to roar.

In the leadup to the 2008 Olympics, Phelps used the previous year's World Championships as a launching pad. He put together the best showing of his career (at the time) in Melbourne, and his efforts told the world that something special would unfold in Beijing. Look for Phelps to try to send a similar statement when the World Champs take place this summer in Shanghai.

There is no doubt that Phelps' competition will be more difficult than it was during the last Olympic cycle. Two words make it so: Ryan Lochte. The star of last summer's Pan Pacific Championships, Lochte has taken his talents to another level and, as a result, the two men and friends are poised for epic showdowns in Shanghai in the 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley. The sport's fans are going to love this summer for what it will offer. More, Lochte is motivated more than ever and has the chance to be the star of the London Games.

What shakes out between Phelps and Lochte will soon be determined and will spark many a conversation. For now, I have to admit that questioning whether Phelps would return to form was dumb, to say the least. He is obviously on the upswing again, as Indy proved, and that is great for the sport. Sometimes, it's nice to be wrong.

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