Hail Ryan Lochte, silver medallist in the 100m free in 48.83 behind a 48.41 blast by Nathan Adrian. The man who wowed 'em in green boots this week was just warming up - for not long after he became feller of Michael Phelps in the 200m medley, 1:54.84 to 1:55.94. The Olympic champion's fitness key to the balance of things August 2010 as Lochte, coached by Gregg Tory and team in Florida, repeated that free sprint speed to bring home the bacon 27.51 to Phelp's 28.14.
The medley mauling is significant in many ways: at the surface, it cracks open the helm of the world rankings, of course (had been 1:57.76), deeper down it cracks Phelps's 1:54.98 textile best from Melbourne 2007 and threatens the best of either man in a 50% poly LZR: 1:54.10 to Lochte for a WR in Rome last year in the absence of the Olympic champion, and 1:54.23 to Phelps for one of eight in Beijing 2008.
'You don't wanna make me angry', is the message Phelps has sent out so many times when felled by self or A. Nother. If there's a man who can take it and feed on it right back, that man is Lochte. More fun to be had back in the same pool a couple of weeks from now at Pan Pacs, while the first Phelps/Lochte clash for a world title since 2007 is also now in prospect.
The women champions of the days were Kathleen Hersey in the 200m 'fly and Elizabeth Beisel in the 200m backstroke. Meanwhile, USA Swimming said that Josh Schneider's protest over the 50m free would not be decided until Sunday: he took silver in a race he sawn under protest because he failed to show for heats of the 100m 'fly without having officially withdrawn - he said he didn't even know he'd been entered - and as such DQd himself from further participation that day.
Day 4 finals
Men's 100m freestyle
Nathan Adrian (CAL PC) had threatened with a 48.71 at the LA grand prix last month and then 50m victory at Irvine yesterday. At 48.41, off a 23.02 split, he became US double sprint champion and is now tucked in 0.09sec behind Alain Bernard, French Olympic champ, on the 2010 world ranks. In shiny suit season, when the Frenchman managed a 46.94 (later taken out by FINA's suit controllers because they wanted a porous gusset put in the groin of the X-Glide), Adrian's best was 48.00. More to come.
"There are definitely some things I can clean up to go faster in that race, but I’m pretty happy with that time,"Adrian said. "I think the most important thing is to swim your own race, and I was able to do that tonight."
The battle for the minor spoils was won on the way home by Ryan Lochte, out in 23.46 back in 25.37 for 48.83, while Jason Lezak and Garrett Weber Gale shared bronze on 48.96, Lezak on 23.19 at the turn, Weber Gale on 23.35. David Walters, on 49.09 was next home. Game on with France for the future, no doubt, with Michael Phelps nursing plans of his own on that score. The final closed down at 49.49. Lots of options for the US, even while the clock of 2009 screams in its isolation.
US Nationals 2010: 48.41; 48.83; 48.96; 48.96; 49.09.
US Top 5 2009: 47.33; 47.78; 47.78; 48.00; 48.16
US Top 5 2007: 48.42; 48.51; 48.96; 49.04; 49.04
Women's 200m butterfly
Th race belonged to Kathleen Hersey (SAGA) all the way: 28.68; 1:00.52; 1:33.61; and gold in 2:07.00, Teresa Crippen closing in a touch, but not by much (0.1sec faster split on the last 50m) for silver in 2:07.89, the bronze going to Mary Mohler in 2:08.91. That locked 2007 world medallist Kim Vanderburg out on 2:09.08. Seven home in 2:11.80, the final closed in
2:14.04. Hersey's time, not far from her 2009 best of 2:06.44, is ranked second in the world this year behind the 2:05.46 blast of Jiao Liuyang (CHN) back in April.
US Nationals 2010: 2:07.00; 2:07.89; 2:08.91; 2:09.08; 2:10.17
US Top 5 2009: 2:04.14; 2:06.44; 2:07.40; 2:09.45; 2:09.60
US Top 5 2007: 2:06.71; 2:07.19; 2:07.84; 2:08.96; 2:09.68
Men's 200m medley
At smaller meets, Ryan Lochte has inflicted defeat on Michael Phelps before - but never when it most counted. Irvine is not when it most counts but the sting of a national-title defeat will have been keen, irritating, the resulting rash will doubtless require scratching. Lochte had honed his speed with a silver medal in the 100m, body and mind ready to take flight at the right part of the fight, the kicking delivered when a man (one shy of sharpness courtesy of the timing of his immense journey but no excuses given or taken) was down on the last lap.
Here's how it unfolded:
- Lochte: 25.07; 28.76 (53.83); 33.50 (1:27.33); 27.51 (1:54.84)
- Phelps: 24.76; 28.78 (53.54); 34.26 (1:27.80); 28.14 (1:55.94)
Phelps turned first once but even then Lochte was in control, a big cat in the grass, his mouse a little too plump on seasonal lolling at this moment in time - relatively speaking, of course: 1:55.94 is a time in textile that only two men have ever got past, and they are the two men who graced the top two slots today.
Victor and vanquished reflected their statuses aptly. A delighted Lochte: "It feels great. I’ve been trying (to beat Phelps) for a long time. To finally get a win feels good." A downbeat but not downtrodden Phelps: "I hurt, holy crap. I said to Ryan, 'Dude, with about 20 metres left you passed me like I was standing still.' It all goes back to not being in shape. I'm not there yet. I feel like my body shut down. There's a lot of work to be done. Losses always motivate me."
Lochte, too, noted that it's not over yet - but he knows precisely what he's looking at: "The key is that breaststroke-to-free turn. If he's right with you and he pushes off that wall, he'll pop up a body length ahead and it's over. That's where he is so dominant."
There were no others in that race, the bronze going to Tyler Clary on 1:59.19 (1:57.25 last year), with world silver medallist Eric Shanteau fourth in 2:00.03 (1:55.36) and the final closed out in 2:01.51.
US Nationals 2010: 1:54.84; 1:55.94; 1:59.19; 2:00.03; 2:00.71
US Top 5 2009: 1:54.10; 1:55.36; 1:57.25; 1:57.58; 1:57.77
US Top 5 2007: 1:54.98; 1:56.19; 1:59.56; 2:00.59; 2:00.69
Women's 200m backstroke
Gold was in the grasp of Elizabeth Beisel from gun to grin, the title taken in 2:08.50, with Melissa Franklin second all the way to silver on 2:09.74. Morgan Scroggy got to visit the podium once more in a fine week of work, the bronze sealed in 2:10.87 as she nudged passed Elizabeth Pelton on the way home. Pelton's 2:11.03 ended the top end of the final, which closed out in 2:15.87.
US Nationals 2010: 2:08.50; 2:09.74; 2:10.87; 2:11.03; 2:11.85
US Top 5 2009: 2:06.39; 2:08.04; 2:09.16; 2:09.22; 2:09.53
US Top 5 2007: 2:07.16; 2:10.31; 2:10.57; 2:11.18; 2:11.26
One day to go at Irvine.
Meanwhile, over in Canada:
The hosts won the four-country Nations Cup selection meet in Victoria, on 339 points 10 ahead of an Australia select, Brazil third, France fourth.
Results:
Men
- 50 freestyle: 1. Matthew Abood, Australia, 22.87; 2. Flore Manaudou, France, 23.17; 3. Andre Daudt, Brazil, 23.,34; 4. David Hibberd, Calgary, 23.43.
- 100 breaststroke: 1. Dortona Perez, France, 1:02.69; 2. Jason Block, Calgary, 1:03.17; 3. Craig Tucker, Australia, 1:03.64.
- 100 butterfly: 1. Lachla Staples, Australia, 54.03; 2. Grant Irvine, Australia, 54.20; 3. Cyril Marchant, France, 54.69; 7. Christopher Bezeau, Montreal, 55.42.
- 200 backstroke : 1. Fernand Santos, Brazil, 2 :01.48; 2. Joris Hustache, France, 2:04.27; 3. Jeffrey Swanston, Newmarket, Ont., 2:05.10.
- 200 freestyle: 1. Jeremy Bagshaw, Victoria, 1:50.62; 2. Rodrigo Castro, Brazil, 1:51.57; 3. Luke Kerswell, Australia, 1:52.28.
- 200 IM: 1. Trav Nederpelt, Australia, 2:02.24; 2. Diogo Yabe, Brazil, 2:02.52; 3. Tim Ruse, Dorval, Que., 2:04.95.
- 1,500 freestyle: 1. Trav Nederpelt, Australia, 15:28.26; 2. Craig Dagnall, Victoria, 15:33.92; 3. Lucas Kanieski, Brazil, 15:38.50.
- 4X100 freestyle relay: 1. Brazil, 3:20.34; 2. Australia, 3:20.71; 3. Canada, 3:24.71.
- 4X100 medley relay: 1. Australia, 3:43.18; 2. Brazil, 3:43.56; 3. France, 3:44.20; 4. Canada, 3:45.82.
Women
- 100 backstroke: 1. Rachel Goh, Australia, 1:01.43; 2. Tess Simpson, Ingleside, Ont., 1:02.09; 3. Brittany MacLean, Etobicoke, Ont., 1:02.59.
- 100 freestyle: 1.Merind Dingjan, Australia, 55.67; 2. Jen Beckberger, Ajax, Ont., 56.09; 3. Seanna Mitchell, Calgary, 56.27.
- 200 breaststroke: 1. Haylee Johnson, Vancouver, 2:29.81; 2. Hanna Pierse, Vancouver, 2:30.58; 3. Fanny Babou, France, 2:31.79.
- 200 butterfly: 1. Amy Smith, Australia, 2:12.77; 2. Erin Miller, Vancouver, 2:14.26; 3. Lea Giraudon, France, 2:15.70.
- 400 freestyle: 1. Belinda Parslow, Australia, 4:12.70; 2. Elle Fullerton, Australia, 4:17.89; 3. Cassie Morrice, Victoria, 4 :20.76
- 400 IM: 1. Elle Fullerton, Australia, 4:48.50; 2. Paige Schultz, Toronto, 4:54. 62; 3. Hilary Caldwell, Victoria, B.C., 4:55.09.
- 4X50 freestyle relay: 1. Canada, 1:43.21; 2. Australia, 1:44.84; 3. Brazil, 1:45.72.
- 4X200 freestyle relay: 1. Australia, 8:10.61; 2. Canada, 8:15.84; 3. Brazil, 8:31.00.
