In Baltimore, Olympic and world champion Michael Phelps clocked his best 100m 'fly of the season with a 52.06, sixth best in the world in 2010 so far and a warm-up for the all important US trials next month that are not only key to selection for Pan Pacs this year but world championships in Shanghai next year.
Phelps, now the fastest American this year, had a season-best of 52.41 and rises from 11th place in the world so far this year on the trajectory he aims to take back to the helm.
In 2009, two men broke 50sec, Phelps ahead of Milorad cavic (SRB), on 49.82, seven men raced inside 51sec, and 37 raced inside 52sec. So far this year, just four men have broken 52sec, led by a 51.70 from Evgeny Korotyshkin (RUS and ADN Project).
In other events at the Baltimore meet at the weekend, Allison Schmitt clocked 1:58.69 to take the 200m free ahead of Elizabeth Pelton, on 2:01.23.
In Austin, Texas, Olympic 100m champion Aaron Peirsol rose to 4th on the 2010 world ranks over 200m with a 1:57.66 effort, while in Gainesville world champion Ryan Lochte Lochte clocked 1:59.35 in the 200m medley to climb to 6th spot on the 2010 ranks, and his Florida teammate world champion Gemma Spofforth (GBR) clocked 1:01.67 to win the 100m backstroke.
On the cusp of the meet meets of the summer, starting next month, much hard work is still underway, with Americans just about the only nation not to have shown a full hand in tapered conditions so far this year.
