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IRVINE, California, August 21. COACH Bob Bowman has confirmed that Michael Phelps has scratched the men's 200 IM during the final day of competition at the Pan Pacific Championships.
"He is going to scratch the 200 IM so he can concentrate on the relays tonight," Bowman said. "The reason for that is that it's going to take three really good swims to get through [the 200 IM and relays], and at this point neither one of us think that he's got three good ones in him."
Phelps is gambling a potential spot at the World Championships next year, since he will be unable to defend his second-slotted time of 1:55.94 from the U.S. Nationals. Ryan Lochte already owns the top spot with a 1:54.84, and the Phelps braintrust will be looking for Phelps' 1:55.94 to hold up to a Tyler Clary challenge. Clary's current best time this year is a 1:59.19 from U.S. Nationals.
Clary, however, has definitely played the roll of spoiler this week as the person who has bumped both Michael Phelps and Aaron Peirsol into potential B final swims so far. The spoiler roll could definitely expand if he could bump Phelps completely out of the IM events at Worlds next year.
