Phelps Wins Epic Battle With Lochte in 200 IM

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 4. IN the best head-to-head race of the evening thus far, multiple Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps kept Daytona Beach's Ryan Lochte in his back pocket in the final 50 meters to touch in 1:56.50 to win his fifth title of the 2006 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming Nationals Championships.

"Whenever I get in the water, I want to do a best time," Phelps said. "Ryan has had a great year. Good to get in the water and race Ryan and Eric. I just wanted to go out and do a best time. I wanted to have fun and stay relaxed to get my hand to the wall first."

Lochte stormed into silver with a personal-best time of 1:56.78, while Swim Atlanta's Eric Shanteau won bronze in 1:58.05.

Phelps was well under world-record pace at the 50-meter mark with a 25.01. He remained under the pace with an incredible 53.80 at the 100-meter mark. Phelps moved over world-record pace with a 1:28.45. Phelps' time of 1:56.50 fell off his Montreal time of 1:56.08 in 2005.

Phelps posted the fastest butterfly (25.01) and backstroke (28.79) legs, while Shanteau owned the best breaststroke leg of (32.63). Lochte ran out of room to comeback in the free with the fastest free split of 27.94.

In the consolation heat, Vanderkaay held a lead at the halfway mark with a 58.08 heading into the breaststroke leg. Ohio State’s Nathan Cass, coached by Bill Wadley, surged in the breaststroke with a lead touch of 1:33.68. Vanderkaay, however, would have nothing of it in the freestyle to come home in a personal-best time of 2:03.13. Cass wound up with second in 2:04.33, while Mariette Marlin Dillon Connolly, coached by Yit Lim, came in as outside smoke with a lane eight third-place 2:05.45.

In the bonus consolation heat, FAST Swim Team’s Tyler Clary touched first in 2:04.54 to win the race, while Suburban Swim Center’s Ian Clark, coached by Charlie Kennedy, placed second in 2:04.99. Meanwhile, Clary’s teammate Louis Vayo took third in 2:05.09.

Event 22 Men 200 LC Meter IM
==================================================================
World: W 1:55.94 8/9/2003 Michael Phelps, N. Baltimore
American: A 1:55.94 8/9/2003 Michael Phelps, N. Baltimore
U.S. Open: O 1:55.94 8/9/2003 Michael Phelps, N. Baltimore
LC Nationals: M 1:55.94 8/9/2003 Michael Phelps, N. Baltimore
Oly. Trial: 2:07.39
Sum. Nat Cut: 2:08.79
US Open Cut: 2:10.59
Meet Qualifying: 2:08.79
Name Age Team Prelims Finals FINA
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===

1 Phelps, Michael 21 Club Wolverine-M 1:59.43 1:56.50 1059
r:+0.72 25.01 53.80 (28.79)
1:28.45 (34.65) 1:56.50 (28.05)
2 Lochte, Ryan 21 Daytona Beach Sw 2:00.83 1:56.78 1051
r:+0.75 25.58 54.42 (28.84)
1:28.84 (34.42) 1:56.78 (27.94)
3 Shanteau, Eric 22 Swim Atlanta-GA 2:01.23 1:58.05 1018
r:+0.74 26.55 56.87 (30.32)
1:29.50 (32.63) 1:58.05 (28.55)
4 Margalis, Rober 24 Saint Petersburg 2:02.99 2:02.35 914
r:+0.68 27.13 58.20 (31.07)
1:34.07 (35.87) 2:02.35 (28.28)
5 Van Wie, Doug 22 Auburn Universit 2:03.00 2:02.81 904
r:+0.81 26.62 57.48 (30.86)
1:34.07 (36.59) 2:02.81 (28.74)
6 Liebhold, Timot 23 Wisconsin Aquati 2:03.95 2:03.06 899
r:+0.71 26.47 57.52 (31.05)
1:34.19 (36.67) 2:03.06 (28.87)
7 Mellors, Patric 20 Jewish Community 2:03.89 2:03.21 895
r:+0.74 26.48 57.99 (31.51)
1:33.82 (35.83) 2:03.21 (29.39)
8 Rathgeber, Geof 20 Una Snco-CT/Harv 2:04.09 2:03.53 888
r:+0.67 26.61 57.94 (31.33)
1:34.07 (36.13) 2:03.53 (29.46)

=== Consolation Final ===

9 Vanderkaay, Ale 20 Club Wolverine-M 2:04.23 2:03.13 897
r:+0.75 26.03 58.08 (32.05)
1:34.18 (36.10) 2:03.13 (28.95)
10 Cass, Nathan 19 Ohio State Swim- 2:04.52 2:04.33 871
r:+0.76 26.90 58.74 (31.84)
1:33.68 (34.94) 2:04.33 (30.65)
11 Connolly, Dillo 17 Marietta Marlins 2:05.99 2:05.45 848
r:+0.61 27.30 1:00.49 (33.19)
1:35.48 (34.99) 2:05.45 (29.97)
12 Roberts, Jonath 18 Raleigh Swimming 2:04.87 2:05.46 848
r:+0.74 26.95 59.86 (32.91)
1:35.26 (35.40) 2:05.46 (30.20)
13 Ridgeway, Paul 22 Longhorn Aquatic 2:04.60 2:05.68 844
r:+0.75 26.78 59.77 (32.99)
1:35.47 (35.70) 2:05.68 (30.21)
14 Burckle, Christ 18 Lakeside Swim Te 2:05.88 2:05.81 841
r:+0.67 27.22 59.03 (31.81)
1:35.26 (36.23) 2:05.81 (30.55)
15 Grenda, Dane 20 Club Wolverine-M 2:05.86 2:07.30 812
r:+0.75 26.75 59.23 (32.48)
1:36.55 (37.32) 2:07.30 (30.75)
16 Patrick, Todd 21 Indiana Universi 2:04.59 2:08.74 785
r:+0.73 26.34 58.31 (31.97)
1:37.20 (38.89) 2:08.74 (31.54)

=== Bonus Final ===

17 Clary, Scott 17 Fast Swim Team-C 2:06.09 2:04.54 867
r:+0.64 26.40 57.46 (31.06)
1:35.67 (38.21) 2:04.54 (28.87)
18 Clark, Ian 21 Suburban Swim Ce 2:06.40 2:04.99 858
r:+0.75 27.19 58.27 (31.08)
1:34.91 (36.64) 2:04.99 (30.08)
19 Vayo, Louis 20 Fast Swim Team-C 2:06.28 2:05.09 856
r:+0.75 27.06 58.20 (31.14)
1:36.06 (37.86) 2:05.09 (29.03)
20 Mania, Adam 22 Wisconsin Aquati 2:06.62 2:05.43 849
r:+0.75 25.84 57.03 (31.19)
1:35.13 (38.10) 2:05.43 (30.30)
21 Weltz, Scott 19 Silicon Valley A 2:06.82 2:06.12 835
r:+0.78 27.10 1:00.13 (33.03)
1:36.73 (36.60) 2:06.12 (29.39)
22 Smalley, Maveri 18 Longhorn Aquatic 2:06.73 2:06.66 824
r:+0.71 27.09 59.75 (32.66)
1:37.00 (37.25) 2:06.66 (29.66)
23 Schaffer, Willi 19 Wheaton Swim Clu 2:06.79 2:07.25 813
r:+0.69 26.65 1:00.11 (33.46)
1:37.38 (37.27) 2:07.25 (29.87)
— McLarty, Dustin 20 Daytona Beach Sw 2:06.50 DQ
r:+0.69

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