Pan Pacific Championships, Irvine, California, day 3 finals:
Men's 100m Butterfly
Not at best but the best by a league, Michael Phelps produced a 50.86 championship-record victory to steam ahead at the helm of the 2010 world rankings as the sole sub-51 man, his effort keeping the crown on his head before we saw the frown on his face that has become the signature image of the icon in this mid-Olympic cycle of reinvention and breath-catching a decade on from the appearance of a 15-year-old mega-talent.
The silver went to teammate Tyler McGill on 51.85, Takuro Fujii taking bronze for Japan in 52.12 and by just 0.04sec over teammate Masayuki Kishida, Aussie Geoff Huegill also locked out, on 52.32. All were then treated to a stilling violin solo rendition of the US anthem poolside by open water ace Eva Fabian.
Out in 24.03, Phelps was never led. he wasn't happy either. He wanted more. The camera panned from scowl to the smile on coach Bob Bowman's face: another result that may help get the man back into training at max in time for the challenges ahead as the final notes are composed for a soaring swim symphony of epic proportions.
Phelps was happy with his homecoming speed but did not have the outgoing drive that he had wanted. "I guess I was off the blocks slow. The one thing I'm not happy with was the first 50. I couldn't get it going," he said. He noted the tough call that many Americans and Australians are going through this week: "The hardest thing for us as a team is to get up in the morning and fight for places in finals ... it's tough ... for the guys and girls being able to do that is good for the future."
For the here and now, Phelps dangled a carrot to rivals on the way out by racing 0.68sec down on his shiny WR pace, then, at a time when most are losing ground on the way home compared to shiny bests, he hit them with a stick on the way to the wall. For the there and then, more poignant was where it all fit in this list of his 10 best:
- 49.82 2009
- 50.22 2009
- 50.48 2009
- 50.48 2009
- 50.58 2008
- 50.65 2010 US trials textile
- 50.77 2007 textile
- 50.86 2010 Irvine
- 50.87 2008
- 50.89 2008
Trans-Atlantic splits:
- Phelps: 24.03; 50.86 CR
- Korotyshkin: 23.91; 51.73
- Verlinden: 24.23; 51.82
Shiny:
- Phelps: 23.36; 49.82
- Cavic: 22.69; 49.95
Historic:
- Crocker 2005: 23.51; 50.40
Trans-Atlantic medals:
- Pan Pacs: 50.86; 51.85; 52.12
- Euro 1-3: 51.73; 51.82; 52.16
Records
Shiny suit era
- WR: 49.82 Michael Phelps (USA) Jul 2009
- ER: 49.95 Milorad Cavic (SRB) Jul 2009
February 1 2008
- WR: 50.40 Ian Crocker (USA) Jul 2005
- ER: 51.36 Andriy Serdinov (UKR) Aug 2004
