By John Lohn<\/p>\n
MELBOURNE, Australia, March 28. HIS world record in the 200 butterfly still cooling off, Michael Phelps had an easy time posting the top qualifying effort in the semifinals of the 200 individual medley. Phelps, fresh off a 1:52.09 clocking in the distance fly, delivered another controlled semifinal and exited the pool with a time of 1:57.94.<\/p>\n
The way Phelps has been swimming, with global marks in the 200 free and 200 fly already under his belt, it's highly likely that he'll deliver another world record in the 200 I.M. Phelps is the world-record holder at 1:55.84 and is the only man to break 1:56. Don't be surprised if Phelps makes a real run at the 1:55 barrier in tomorrow's final. After his semifinal swim in the I.M., Phelps was still digesting the fly.<\/p>\n
"I don't now," Phelps said, when asked if the 200 fly was his best performance ever. "I've had a few decent swims. I'm not sure where that ranks. (Going) 1:52.0 is a little shocking, more shocking than last night."<\/p>\n
The silver medalist in the 200 I.M. at the Athens Olympics, American teammate Ryan Lochte set the stage for a one-two sweep by the United States. Lochte was timed in 1:58.48 and there's certainly more in the tank from an athlete who went 1:56-low at the Pan Pacific Championships last summer and gave Phelps all he could handle.<\/p>\n
The battle for the bronze medal figures to come down to Brazil's Thiago Pereira and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh, who were third and fourth to the championship final. Pereira clocked 1:58.65 and Cseh, the more likely to challenge for a higher position, checked in at 1:58.66. Also breaking a minute for fifth was Hungarian Tamas Kerekjarto (1:59.51). Also reaching the final were Lithuania's Vytautas Janusaitis (2:00.05), Canada's Brian Johns (2:00.25) and New Zealand's Dean Kent (2:00.53).<\/p>\n