USA Swimming Trials for 2016 Olympics: Michael Phelps Eyeing 200-Meter Fly Finals Top Spot; Ryan Lochte Secures Relay Spot
Olympic medalist Michael Phelps proved that his experience in swimming mattered when he won the preliminaries of the 200-meter butterfly on Tuesday.
The returning swimmer is hoping to earn the top spot for the event's semis and finals also scheduled this week. The 30-year-old athlete clocked one minute and 56.68 seconds for the prelims, which raised him to the number 1 spot ahead of Pace Clark.
Phelps Not Happy with Time
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Phelps, however, was still not happy with his achievement, noting that he did not do enough for his first swim in the USA trials for the 2016 Olympics.
"My third turn was bad, awful," Phelps said. "Killed all the momentum. I felt like I didn't really use much legs, dragging them through the way. But it's something to build off of. We'll see."
He also said that he is happy he finally finished his first event for the trials and noted that he got annoyed waiting for his turn to compete.
Another Event Scratched
However, Phelps again scratched another event from his list -- the 100 free prelims. He earlier decided not to compete for the 200 free prelims. The same report highlighted that his absence in these events could mean that he will not be part of the relay competition.
The good thing is fellow swimmer Ryan Lochte will be part of the relays, his only pass to the Rio Olympics after he failed to qualify in the 400-meter individual medley.
Though he suffered a groin muscle problem, Lochte improved on his pace and finished fourth in the 200-meter freestyle with the time of 1:46.62.
Ryan Lochte Bound to Rio
The athlete was relieved with his recent feat, saying that all he wants is to represent the country in the Rio Games this August. "I'm representing my country at the highest stage in sports," he revealed. "It's a beautiful feeling."
Lochte earlier noted that he was feeling a constant pain that affected his performance during his first event, but his threshold for pain enabled him to rise back again. He noted that his experience only showed that an Olympic medalist like him is never sure of a spot in the trials since many are strong swimmers.
