Phelps Wins 100 Fly at US Nationals

By Phillip Whitten
CLOVIS, Calif. Aug. 17. SIXTEEN year-old Michael Phelps took a giant step toward realizing his goal of making the 2004 US Olympic Team in "at least four events" when he won his first US national title in the 100 meter butterfly in 53.15 seconds.

Earlier this year, when he was still 15, Phelps broke the world record in the 200 meter butterfly with a 1:54.92 effort, becoming the youngest American male swimmer ever to set a world mark. At last month's World Championships in Japan, he lowered that mark to 1:54.58

In prelims, Phelps had clocked 52.98 seconds, leading to speculation that he might challenge the American record of 52.25 by Ian Crocker, or even Michael Klim's global standard of 51.81. But a slow start put an end to any record-breaking ambitions the young phenom may have had. Turning in fourth place at the 50-meter mark, he passed the rest of the field to win easily.

In the men's 400 meter freestyle, Chad Carvin led from start to finish, fighting off challenges from Scott Goldblatt, who was second in the 200, and 17 year-old Fran Crippen, winner of the 800. It was Carvin's seventh national title in the 400 and 15th overall.

In the absence of world record-holder Lenny Krayzelburg, Stanford sophomore Peter Marshall took the 100 meter backstroke in 55.57, edging his freshman teammate Jayme Cramer, 55.94.

Jarrod Marrs also took advantage of an absent national champion — his teammate and roommate Ed Moses — to win his first national title. Taking a commanding lead at the start, the 6 year-old held on to win the 100 meter breaststroke in 1:02.05.

Haley Cope, who won the women's 50-meter dorsal sprint at the World Championships, won the 100 meter backstroke in 1:01.89, beating 200 meter champ Diana MacManus, 15.

Ashley Chandler confounded the experts by winning her second straight national title in the 400 meters freestyle, touching in 4:13.29, one second ahead of 15 year-old newcomer, Mary Hill. Chandler's Sun devils teammate, Kalyn Keller, who won the 800 meters on Tuesday, overtook Olympic champ Brooke Bennett for the bronze.

Olympic champion Megan Quann won her specialty, the 100 meter breaststroke in 1:08.61, almost a full second ahead of NCAA champion Tara Kirk.

The 100 meter butterfly fell to Kirk's youngster sister, Dana, 17, who unleashed a punishing kick in the final 50 meters to touch first in 1:00.04.
USA Swimming National Championships
Day Four: August 17, 2001
Clovis, California

RESULTS

Women's 100 meter backstroke
1. Haley Cope 1:01.89
2. Diana MacManus 1:02.23
3. Lauren Gettel 1:03.11

Men's 100 meter backstroke
1. Peter Marshall 55.57
2. Jayme Cramer 55.94
3. Neil Walker 56.23

Women's 400 meter freestyle
1. Ashley Chandler 4:13.29
2. Mary Hill 4:14.33
3. Kalyn Keller 4:14.40

Men's 400 meter freestyle
1. Chad Carvin 3:50.04
2. Scott Goldblatt 3:50.92
3. Fran Crippen 3:52.79

Women's 100 meter breaststroke
1. Megan Quann 1:08.61
2. Tara Kirk 1:09.51
3. Stacianna Stitts 1:09.81

Men's 100 meter breaststroke
1. Jarrod Marrs 1:02.05
2. Jeff Hackler 1:02.90
3. Jeff Hopwood 1:03.27

Women's 100 meter butterfly
1. Dana Kirk 1:00.04
2. Bethany Goodwin 1:00.36
3. Dana Vollmer 1:00.57

Men's 100 meter butterfly
1. Michael Phelps 53.15
2. Tom Hannan 53.91
3. Jayme Cramer 54.06

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