Phelps wins third in row, gets big boost from Spitz



Michael Phelps stayed on track to break Mark Spitz's Olympic record.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Michael Phelps made it three in a row at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials Saturday, dominating the 200-meter butterfly to stay on course in his bid to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in Athens.
In a symbolic moment, Phelps and Spitz met for the first time during the award ceremony. Spitz presented Phelps with his medal and pulled the 19-year-old close, whispering something in his ear.
Spitz then climbed atop the medal stand and held Phelps' right hand in the air, as if passing off the baton to the swimmer who could break one of sport's most revered records -- seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games.
"I think he really has a chance to do this," Spitz said. "That's one of the things I told him."
Phelps came up just short of his own world record in the event, winning with a time of 1 minute, 54.31 seconds. He set the mark of 1:53.93 at last year's world championships.
Third win of trials
It was his third individual win of the trials, following a world-record performance in the 400 individual medley and Friday's victory in the 200 freestyle. He has three more individual events to swim at the trials.
Phelps already has earned a spot on the 800 freestyle relay team and hopes to swim the other two relays, as well, giving him as many as nine chances to eclipse Spitz.
Phelps wouldn't reveal anything that Spitz said during their brief meeting.
"We'll keep that between him and me," Phelps said. "But it was definitely inspirational."
Former world record-holder Tom Malchow won the 200 fly at the Sydney Games, while Phelps finished fifth at age 15. The tide turned over the past four years, with Phelps maturing into the world's most dominant swimmer.
Malchow also is likely to make the team after finishing second to Phelps, though he's fallen far behind the teenager. The defending Olympic gold medalist was more than three seconds behind at 1:57.37.
Vollmer beats Benko
In the women's 200 freestyle, 16-year-old Dana Vollmer upset American record-holder Lindsay Benko in the final. Benko scratched from the 400 free to focus on the shorter event, but Vollmer caught her at the finish to win with a time of 1:59.20.
Benko held on for second at 1:59.29, while Kaitlin Sandeno and Rhi Jeffrey also earned relay spots by finishing third and fourth.
Vollmer has a rare ailment that could cause her heart to stop at any time. She keeps a defibrillator nearby while competing, but refuses to give up the sport she loves.
"I don't accept that anything is wrong with me," Vollmer said.
Sandeno had a grueling night, swimming two events just 15 minutes apart. She had the fifth-fastest time in the 200 butterfly, advancing to today's final. Dana Kirk was the top qualifier at 2:09.36.
In the other final Saturday, 15-year-old Katie Hoff knocked off three-time Olympian Amanda Beard in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:12.06. Hoff is a member of the same swim club as Phelps, North Baltimore.
Both already made team
Beard took second and a likely Olympic spot at 2:12.43. Both already had made the team by winning other events -- Beard the 100 breaststroke, Hoff the 400 IM. The field also included 2001 world champion Maggie Bowen.
In the men's 100 freestyle, tensions between eight-time Olympic medalist Gary Hall Jr. and Jason Lezak bubbled over again after they met for the first time.
Lezak, who earned his lone gold by swimming a relay prelim at Sydney, bristled at comments by Hall's agent, David Arluck, who compared any talk of a rivalry to "Spud Webb kicking Michael Jordan in the shins."
"Spud Webb was never the fastest sprinter in the world, which I was in 2002," Lezak said. "I don't know what those guys are thinking about."
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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