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Phelps wins 6th gold at swimming worlds
2007-03-31
Michael Phelps stayed on track for a record gold-medal haul at the world championships, edging out American teammate Ian Crocker by 0.05 seconds to win the 100-meter butterfly Saturday night. Muzi.com News 10040129-0 (muzi.com)Phelps is 6-for-6 with two races remaining. His latest gold tied Australian Ian Thorpe's record from the 2001 worlds in Japan. Muzi.com News 10040129-1 (muzi.com) But Phelps failed to set a world record for the first time in five nights. Muzi.com News 10040129-2 (muzi.com) "I'm definitely starting to feel it (fatigue)," he said. "I've got to get some food and some sleep, and hopefully tomorrow I'll run off adrenaline. I need to come back and do two solid races." Muzi.com News 10040129-3 (muzi.com) Still, it was another dominating night for the United States. Muzi.com News 10040129-4 (muzi.com) The Americans won four of the six finals, including 1-2 finishes in the men's 100 fly and men's 50 freestyle. They have a leading 31 medals, including 17 gold with one night remaining. Australia is second with 17 medals and seven golds. Muzi.com News 10040129-5 (muzi.com) As the two-time defending champion and world-record holder, Crocker was the one guy who could've stopped Phelps' gold rush. But it didn't happen. Muzi.com News 10040129-6 (muzi.com) "It's hard to get up and slay the dragon every time," he said. Muzi.com News 10040129-7 (muzi.com) Crocker was first at the turn, with Phelps third -- the first time in four individual races that he didn't zoom to the lead. But he sure came home hard. Muzi.com News 10040129-8 (muzi.com) "Ian has more speed than I do. I know that he goes out hard and I wanted to close that gap," Phelps said. Muzi.com News 10040129-9 (muzi.com) He caught Crocker in the final furious strokes -- touching in 50.77 seconds and joining his rival as the only men to break the 51-second barrier. Crocker hit the wall in 50.82. Albert Subirats of Venezuela took the bronze. Muzi.com News 10040129-10 (muzi.com) "Knowing that he's having the meet of his life, I expected him to go very fast and he did," Crocker said. "I'm just glad I still hold the world record." Muzi.com News 10040129-11 (muzi.com) Phelps had never beaten Crocker at worlds -- taking silver behind him in 2003 and 2005. In between, Phelps denied Olympic gold to Crocker in Athens by four-hundredths of a second. Muzi.com News 10040129-12 (muzi.com) "That's how I won the Olympic medal," Phelps said. "You have to nail the finish as best you can. I actually thought I botched the finish, but it ended up being good enough." Muzi.com News 10040129-13 (muzi.com) Crocker swam over to Phelps in lane six and shook his hand. On the podium later, Crocker looked a bit glum while accepting the silver medal. Muzi.com News 10040129-14 (muzi.com) "It's a mix of emotions," he said. "I know the next big time we meet is a more important time, and I always come back well from disappointments." Muzi.com News 10040129-15 (muzi.com) Phelps had a grin plastered on his face during yet another victory stroll as Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" blared. The 21-year-old whipped a stuffed penguin into the stands and a young woman excitedly scooped it up. Muzi.com News 10040129-16 (muzi.com) American teenager Kate Ziegler overtook Laure Manaudou of France on the final lap to defend her title in the 800 freestyle. Muzi.com News 10040129-17 (muzi.com) Manaudou was under American Janet Evans' 17-year-old world record through 400 meters before falling off the pace, with Ziegler nearly matching her stroke-for-stroke. Muzi.com News 10040129-18 (muzi.com) The women were dead-even after 550 meters and traded the lead twice more before Ziegler came home first in 8 minutes, 18.52 seconds -- the second-fastest time ever. Manaudou, the 200 and 400 free champion here, took the silver in 8:18.80. Muzi.com News 10040129-19 (muzi.com) "If she had not been there, no way would I have gone as fast," Ziegler said. "I knew if I was still with her after 400, then I'd have a chance." Muzi.com News 10040129-20 (muzi.com) American Hayley Peirsol earned the bronze. Muzi.com News 10040129-21 (muzi.com) Australia's women beat the United States in the 400 medley relay and lowered their world record, too -- the only one of the night. Muzi.com News 10040129-22 (muzi.com) Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones, Jess Schipper and Libby Lenton touched in 3:55.74, bettering the old mark of 3:56.30 at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne last March. Muzi.com News 10040129-23 (muzi.com) Americans Natalie Coughlin, Tara Kirk, Rachel Komisarz and Lacey Nymeyer took the silver in 3:58.31 -- the country's fourth consecutive runner-up finish. Muzi.com News 10040129-24 (muzi.com) China earned the bronze in 4:01.97. Muzi.com News 10040129-25 (muzi.com) Coughlin had the Americans in front and 0.40 seconds under world-record pace on her opening leg of backstroke. Muzi.com News 10040129-26 (muzi.com) But Jones, the 100 breaststroke world champion, outraced Kirk and put the Aussies in front for good. Lenton, the 100 freestyle champion, cruised home with Nymeyer in her wake. Muzi.com News 10040129-27 (muzi.com) American Ben Wildman-Tobriner conquered swimming's most chaotic 22 seconds, winning the 50 free in an upset over more heralded teammate Cullen Jones and defending champion Roland Schoeman of South Africa. Muzi.com News 10040129-28 (muzi.com) Wildman-Tobriner touched in 21.88 seconds; Jones at 21.94 for the silver. Muzi.com News 10040129-29 (muzi.com) Stefan Nystrand of Sweden earned the bronze. Schoeman faded to seventh. Muzi.com News 10040129-30 (muzi.com) "It's hard not to be disappointed when you're kind of the favorite going in and you get second," Jones said. Muzi.com News 10040129-31 (muzi.com) Wildman-Tobriner was only sixth-fastest coming into the final, while Jones was second-quickest. Muzi.com News 10040129-32 (muzi.com) "There was zero pressure on me," Wildman-Tobriner said. "Honestly, it's not a surprise to me. When I hit the water, I felt it was right." Muzi.com News 10040129-33 (muzi.com) Jones gained major attention by winning the 50 free at the Pan Pacific championships in August (Wildman-Tobriner was fifth), and the black swimmer wanted a world title to further his goal of getting kids of all colors interested in the sport. Muzi.com News 10040129-34 (muzi.com) "Anything I do, as long as I'm trying to promote diversity in swimming, I think is going to help no matter what," Jones said. "I just hope this is not a trend. At world short course, I got silver. Here I got silver. Hopefully, at the Olympics I get gold." Muzi.com News 10040129-35 (muzi.com) Wildman-Tobriner goes by a combination of his mother's maiden name and his father's name. The 22-year-old Stanford swimmer's first international gold medal came at the 2005 worlds, when he swam on the 400 freestyle relay in the morning. He also swam preliminaries of the 400 free here, earning a gold. Muzi.com News 10040129-36 (muzi.com) Margaret Hoelzer of the United States ended her runner-up streak in the women's 200 backstroke, winning with the second-fastest time ever -- 2 minutes, 7.16 seconds. Muzi.com News 10040129-37 (muzi.com) The former Auburn swimmer, who turned 24 Friday, had finished second at the 2003 and '05 worlds, where she was beaten by Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe. Muzi.com News 10040129-38 (muzi.com) Coventry led the first 100 meters before Hoelzer edged ahead at the third turn. Coventry settled for silver in 2:07.54. Muzi.com News 10040129-39 (muzi.com)
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