Michael Phelps won one and lost one Friday in a tuneup meet in Austin, Texas, where he was competing with an eye on this month’s US Olympic trials and a berth at the Rio Games.
Joseph Schooling, a 20-year-old from Singapore who swims for the University of Texas in Austin, clocked 51.58sec to edge 18-time Olympic gold medallist Phelps (51.65) in the 100m butterfly – an event in which Phelps holds the world record.
Schooling admitted it ‘felt great’ to get his first win over Phelps – but he noted that the US great was still in hard training before the US trials and not in peak racing form as he will be in Omaha this month and Rio de Janeiro in August. “I’ve got to be even better in two months,” Schooling said.
Phelps was swimming in his second final of the night, having won the 100m freestyle in 49.49sec, one one-hundredth of a second in front of Jack Conger. The Austin meeting was one of three this week giving US and overseas swimmers a chance to hone their skills before Rio.
China’s Sun Yang swam the year’s fastest 200 freestyle time at 1:44.82 to triumph at the Pro Swim meeting in Santa Clara, California. American Conor Dwyer was second in 1:45.41, third-fastest in the world this year, behind the 1:45.19 of James Guy.
Dwyer, who will be looking to secure his berth for Rio at the US trials in Omaha, Nebraska, said the ‘good battle’ with Sun was perfect preparation. “Obviously, it’s not fun to lose and go the third-fastest time in the world,” Dwyer said. “But it was a good preview for racing in Rio. I know he’ll be a good contender, and I am glad he came, so we can kind of go battle it out and get me ready for trials and hopefully the big show.”
Australian Emma McKeon won the women’s 200m free in Santa Clara in 1:56.36. At the Indianapolis Pro Swim, American Leah Smith posted a pair of career bests en route to victory in the women’s 200m freestyle, winning the final in 1:56.64 after clocking 1:56.66 in the heats.
Compatriot Jay Litherland opened the Indy meeting with two victories, capturing the 200m free 1:48.41 and the 400m individual medley in 4:13.93.