Phelps caps Columbus swim GP with speedy 100m free

Michael Phelps clocked the second-fastest 100m freestyle time in the world this year to cap a productive three days at USA Swimming's Columbus Grand Prix. Phelps on Sunday added the 100m free gold to the 200m free and 200m butterfly titles he claimed on Friday and Saturday with a time of 48.49. Only Australia's James Magnusson, with a time of 48.05 in January, has swum faster so far in a season geared toward the London Olympics that start in July. "I wanted to swim a good 100 and see where we were," Phelps said. "I could compare where we are now compared to four years ago this time leading into (Olympic) trials. I'm happy, and hopefully this will set up a good 100 down the road or at trials. Who knows?" Phelps, whose 14 Olympic gold medals include his spectacular eight at the 2008 Beijing Games, finished comfortably in front of Brazila's Nicolas Oliveira, who took second in 49.37 with South African Darian Townsend third in 49.47. Townsend earlier won the men's 200m individual medley in 2:00.72. Phelps said he was pleased with his progress he has made since buckling down in his training, after losing motivation and focus in the wake of his Beijing exploits. "The only thing I need to do right now is continue what I'm doing. I can't have any more hiccups," he said. "Training does help and it does work and I can see that. The last three weeks we put in some good training and it showed here. Things are heading in the right direction. We just have to keep everything going." American Matt Grevers, edged in the 100m backstroke, bounced back with a victory in the 200m back in 1:57.59. That put him second on the 2012 world list behind Japan's Ryosuke Irie, who posted a blazing 1:54.02 in January. Matt Patton was a distant second in 2:02.38 with Mexico's Ezequiel Trujillo Aviles third in 2:03.86. Hungary's Zsuzsanna Jakabos won the women's 200m individual medley in 2:11.98, good enough for fourth in the world rankings. US Olympian Natalie Coughlin was second in 2:12.90 and Hungary's Evelyn Verraszto third (2:13.56). Arturo Verti and Maria Gonzalez Ramirez delivered gold for Mexico, Verti winning the men's 1,500m freestyle in 15:30.69 and Ramirez capturing the women's 200m backstroke in 2:10.75. Gillian Ryan, 16, won the women's 800m freestyle in 8:29.25, a performance that vaulted her to fourth-fastest in the world this year. Chile's Kristel Kobrich was second in 8:31.09.