Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
BETH HARRIS
Associated Press
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Michael Phelps went 1-for-3 in his coach's grand experiment of taking on world record holders in the 100-yard butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke Monday night in the Southern California Grand Prix of Swimming.
"I'm tired," he said, grinning.
Phelps topped backstroke king Aaron Peirsol, winning in 45.90 seconds. Peter Marshall was second and Peirsol, who has dominated the stroke since after the 2000 Sydney Olympics, finished third.
"I just got rocked," Peirsol said. "Michael's been having a great meet, so I knew he'd do something good. My legs are really tired."
Phelps proved no match for Brendan Hansen in the breaststroke. Hansen won in 52.81, with Phelps second in 54.67 - nearly 1 1/2 seconds under his best time.
In the butterfly, Ian Crocker beat Phelps, winning in 45.23. Phelps finished in 46.05.
Crocker's style is to take a race out fast, and he did so with Phelps in the field.
"He gets the adrenaline going," Crocker said. "It brings out the best in you. I knew if I put him enough away early on the first 50 he wouldn't get me."
Hansen could only marvel at Phelps' feat, saying, "I have to admit to do three back-to-back-to-back like that is pretty amazing."
Phelps was on the run on the last night of the four-day meet that served as a training tuneup for the world championships in March, when he plans an ambitious schedule.
He dived in at 5:45 p.m. for the butterfly, returned to the starting block at 6:06 for the backstroke and returned again at 6:26 for the breaststroke, wearing the same suit throughout. He entered the meet after a three-week training trip to Mexico.
"I pretty much got out of the water, ran down to the other end, got lactate testing, jumped into the water, started swimming until I had to come up here, and do that three times," he said.
In all, Phelps won the 100 and 500 freestyles, 100 back and 400 individual medley over three days. He finished second in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes and 100 fly.
"The biggest thing in a meet like this is how mentally tough you can be," he said. "As many times as I can put myself in a situation where I have to be mentally tough, it's going to help me in the long run, especially with worlds coming up."
The triple attempt was hatched by coach Bob Bowman, who monitored Phelps via Blackberry from Ann Arbor, Mich. Phelps will hear Bowman's assessment when the 21-year-old swimmer returns to practice Tuesday afternoon.
"I haven't swam the 100 back and the 100 breast in a meet in two or three years," Phelps said. "Bob always wanted me to go bang, bang, bang, fly, back, breast."
Natalie Coughlin won the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly, completing a 5-for-5 showing in the meet. She also lowered her own American record in the 200 free Sunday.
"It's been a long time since I've been in this type of meet where I'm doing individual events in a short time," she said. "It's good practice for worlds."
Kaitlin Sandeno, who trains with Phelps in Michigan, won five of her seven races during the meet, including the 200 IM Monday.
