Flash! Phelps Lowers Own World Record in 200 IM

VICTORIA, British Columbia, Aug. 20. SWIMMING superstar Michael Phelps continued his amazing meet with his second individual and third world record overall by lowering his own global standard of 1:55.94 set on August 9, 2003 with an incredible 1:55.84 in the 200-meter IM at the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships.

Meanwhile, American Ryan Lochte helped Phelps to the record by actually leading through 150 meters en route to silver in 1:56.11.

Phelps took a slim .20 second lead after the butterfly leg with a 25.11 against Lochte’s 25.31. Lochte, however, countered in the backstroke leg with a 29.07 split against Phelps’ 29.38 to take a lead, 54.38 to 54.49. Lochte held onto the lead after the breaststroke leg with a 33.87 split compared to Phelps’s 33.90 to remain in front 1:28.25 to 1:28.39. Phelps, however, brought it home to break the record with a lightning fast 27.45 freestyle split. Lochte came home with a 27.86 freestyle split to claim second.

"When we get in the water and race it brings out the best in both of us,” Phelps said. “Ryan definitely helped me a lot. It’s more exciting when you go head to head like that. It really gets the crowd up and that definitely had an impact."

Far behind both Americans, Japan’s Ken Takakuwa garnered bronze in 1:59.81.

Incidentally, Phelps completely smashed his meet record in the event of 1:59.70 set on August 29, 2002 in Yokohama, Japan.

The world record became the fifth to go down thus far in the meet. Phelps and Jessicah Schipper got the ball rolling during the first day with world records in the 200-meter butterfly events. Aaron Peirsol then beat his own standard in the 200-meter backstroke, before the American men knocked out the 400-meter freestyle relay standard.

Click Here to view event results PDF file

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