Olympic Preview: Men’s 200 Freestyle

By John Lohn

CRANBURY, New Jersey, February 26. THE next stop on SwimmingWorldMagazine.com's Olympic Preview march is the men's 200 freestyle. Once the domain of Australian Ian Thorpe, the four-lap freestyle now belongs to Michael Phelps. Then again, what event doesn't he own these days? While Phelps is the undisputed favorite, the battle for silver and bronze is open.

Historical Perspective

Defending Champion: Ian Thorpe (Australia) – 1:44.71
World-Record Holder: Michael Phelps (United States) – 1:43.86.
Most Titles: Australia (Four) – Fred Lane (1900); Mike Wenden (1968); Duncan Armstrong (1988); Ian Thorpe (2004).
Notable: The 2000 Olympic champion, Pieter van den Hoogenband indicated at last year's World Championships that he is no longer going to contest the event in major international competition. That indication from the Netherlands' star followed his silver-medal finish behind Michael Phelps. It was a white-flag waving by van den Hoogenband, who is the two-time defending Olympic champ in the 100 free.

Here's a look at the top medal contenders in the 200 freestyle.

Michael Phelps:
The bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, where he placed behind Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband, Phelps has taken the event – like many others – to a new stratosphere. En route to gold at the World Champs in Melbourne last year, Phelps set a world record of 1:43.86, taking down the global standard of Ian Thorpe.

There was a time when Thorpe's world record was seen as other-worldly, but Phelps has proven he can do just about anything in the pool. Not only will Phelps be the heavy favorite for gold in Beijing, he'll headline the American 800 freestyle relay, which holds the world record and should repeat as Olympic titlist.

Peter Vanderkaay:
Ranked second in the world last year, thanks to a time of 1:45.45, Vanderkaay is an obvious challenger for a podium position. Training with Phelps and other prominent names at Club Wolverine, Vanderkaay certainly will be prepared if he qualifies for Beijing. First, though, he must grab that berth at the U.S. Trials, where the 200 free figures to be one of the deepest events.

Tae Hwan Park:
The South Korean teenager has emerged as an international standout in the middle-distance freestyles. While Park ranked fourth in the world last year, with a best time of 1:46.73, he was the bronze medalist at the World Championships, placing behind Phelps and van den Hoogenband.

Kenrick Monk:
A rising force from Australia, Monk checked in with the sixth-fastest time in the world last year and just missed grabbing a medal at the World Champs, where he placed fourth in front of his home nation. Monk should continue to improve and might be the best medal hope from Australia, whose Trials are rapidly approaching.

Ryan Lochte:
A member of the United States' world-record 800 free relay team, along with Phelps, Vanderkaay and Klete Keller, Lochte has the goods to be a medal contender in the individual 200 free. We haven't seen him much in that event, but that could change this summer. Considering his vast talent, a 1:45 is likely in his arsenal.

Klete Keller:
The two-time Olympian, who anchored the United States to gold in the 800 free relay in Athens, was off at last year's World Champs. But, expect Keller to be a factor at the American Trials. At the recent Missouri Grand Prix, Keller turned in a solid showing, an effort that included a 1:47.54 performance in the 200 free.

Brent Hayden:
Oops, the first run of this story left the Canadian out of the mix. Big mistake. While he was only 19th in the world last year and didn't crack 1:48, it reasons that Hayden will be in contention for a slot in the Olympic final.

Filippo Magnini:
The Italian is the two-time defending world champ in the 100 free and rated seventh in the world in the 200 free for 2007. For Magnini to have any chance at a medal in Beijing, he'll have to substantially slice his 1:47.18 mark from last year. Considering the depth of the event, Magnini might not have the staying power to make a dent.

Massi Rosolino:
A staple on the international stage, Rosolino has proven longevity. He was eighth in the world last year after placing fifth in the 200 free at the World Champs. Born in 1978, Rosolino is the old man of the group and will have to summon every ounce of his experience and talent to be in the medal mix.

Zhang Lin:
The top hope in the event from the host Olympic nation, Zhang was the 11th-fastest performer last year, going 1:47.53 at the World Champs. That performance enabled Zhang to place sixth in Melbourne. With the support of a nation behind him, Zhang might be able to make a surge.

Other Contenders:
The fifth-ranked performer last year was Russia's Andrei Kapralov in 1:47.09. Still, Kapralov has a long way to go before he can be deemed a medal hope. The same can be said for Germany's Paul Biedermann, seventh at the World Champs, one spot ahead of Italy's Nicola Cassio.

Other Americans:
As previously mentioned, the race for the six American spots on the 800 free relay for the Olympics will be hotly contested. Among some of the challengers, in addition to those already discussed, are Adam Ritter, Jayme Cramer and David Walters. All have international experience and have been under 1:48 in the 200 free.

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