2016 Trials Throwback: Michael Phelps Goes Out a Winner in Last 100 Fly on American Soil

Michael Phelps bids farewell to the Omaha crowd. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Michael Phelps’ last race on American soil.

Each day during the pre-scheduled days of the 2020 US Olympic Trials, Swimming World will take its readers back four years to the 2016 Trials in Omaha to recap each event, and will offer some insight into what the events will look like in 2021.

Michael Phelps had made it clear that the 2016 Olympic Games would be his last meet – no ifs ands or buts about it. He said he would be done after 2012, but he just needed a break. 2016 was to be the end for the greatest swimmer of all-time, and the American crowd that packed the Chi Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska knew that, so they wanted to get a glimpse before he set off into the sunset for good.

Michael Phelps. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Through six days, 31-year-old Phelps made the team in the 200 fly & 200 IM, taking wins in both events to make his fifth team, just the second American swimmer to do so. The 100 fly was set to be Phelps’ last race on American soil before heading off to Rio – and it would only be appropriate if he went out with a win. With the semifinal falling not long after the 200 IM, Phelps had muscled his way through in sixth place with a 51.83.

Tim Phillips. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The top seed was Cal grad Seth Stubblefield (51.26) ahead of Tim Phillips (51.28), who was 13th at the 2015 World Championships. It was expected to be a tight race as Tom Shields, who finished runner-up in the 200 fly, was seeded third in a tie with Jack Conger, who made the team in the 4×200 free relay. Matthew Josa was also expected to contend after a 51.72 in the semi-finals.

This race looked to be the toughest for Michael Phelps, as he was the three-time defending champion and going for an unprecedented fourth straight Trials title.

The Race

As the competitors walked out for the final, it was a bit odd to see the great Phelps out in lane seven, but all eyes were on him. Even with a less than stellar semifinal swim, this was still Michael Phelps, and it didn’t seem conceivable he wouldn’t win. But again, these Olympic Trials had seen plenty of unexpected outcomes – Jay Litherland ran down Ryan Lochte in the 400 IM. Natalie Coughlin didn’t make the team, and neither did Tyler Clary. Cullen Jones was also not going to be on the plane for Rio. These Trials were full of upsets and up-and-comers breaking through, but again, this was Michael Phelps. There is no way he would lose, right?

Tom Shields. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Stubblefield had been unproven at the international level. Conger and Shields had creeped up into top American butterfly status for a brief period (Shields was fourth at 2015 Worlds), and were already on the team so they had less pressure on them. Phillips had World Championships experience and this was his opportunity to make his first team. There were a lot of challengers capable of giving Phelps a race, and the crowd was on pins and needles to see what would happen. Before the meet, Swimming World had predicted Shields would get the second spot behind Phelps.

Matthew Josa (left) and Seth Stubblefield. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Phelps got off to his characteristic “slow” start on the first 50 as speedsters Stubblefield, Phillips and Josa were leading the pack. Phelps was in fourth and definitely not out of it. The only guys in the field that could really hang with him on the back 50 were Conger and Shields, and he was ahead of both of them – it was just a matter of what the other guys in front of him had in store.

Phelps and Shields each kicked out about 12 meters as Shields actually rocketed from seventh to first. Phelps was right there as well as there was nothing separating the top six men.

But just like Phelps always had done, he shifted into another gear on the final 25 and was the clear leader with five meters to go. He touched at 51.00 and gave a big slap to the water – he finished his career on American soil with one final victory. Shields was second at 51.20 ahead of Stubblefield (51.24), Conger (51.26) and Phillips (51.44). Shields and Phelps would swim both the 100 & 200 butterfly together in Rio.

Results

Michael Phelps, 51.00
Tom Shields, 51.20
Seth Stubblefield, 51.24
Jack Conger, 51.26
Tim Phillips, 51.44
Matthew Josa, 51.86
Will Glass, 52.25
Giles Smith, 53.56

On to Rio

Michael Phelps had gone on to win historic gold medal performances in the 200 butterfly and 200 IM, taking down two of his greatest rivals Chad Le Clos and Ryan Lochte in the process. The 100 fly would be his final mountain to climb. After four straight golds in the 200 IM, he was hoping to repeat that accomplishment in the 100 fly, where his biggest challenges would come from Le Clos, longtime rival Laszlo Cseh, and rising upstart Joseph Schooling.

In the final individual race of his career, Phelps took a silver to Schooling, who won Singapore’s first ever gold medal at the Olympics, and tied with Le Clos and Cseh. It was the first time there was a three-way-tie for a medal in swimming at the Olympics as the three longtime rivals held hands like relay teammates on the podium. Schooling had snapped the Americans’ gold medal streak, being the first non-American to win the 100 fly since Lars Frolander in 2000.

Shields finished seventh in Rio with a 51.73.

Michael Phelps with co-silver medalists Chad Le Clos & Laszlo Cseh. Photo Courtesy: USA TODAY Sports-USA TODAY Sports

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