Phelps eyes tough double in final night in Mesa

Michael Phelps cruised into two finals on Saturday at the Mesa Pro Series meeting and will find old rival Ryan Lochte waiting in both.

Phelps's comeback after the six-month suspension that followed his drunk-driving arrest in September has been the story of the meeting in suburban Phoenix.

But it was Lochte who led the way into both the 200m individual medley and 100m freestyle finals.

World record-holder Lochte's 2min 01.03sec in the 200m medley was well outside his season's best of 1:58.57.

But it was good enough to lead the field ahead of compatriot Conor Dwyer (2:02.20) and Latvia's Uvis Kalnins (2:02.91)

Matt Josa out-touched Phelps in their heat, posting the fourth-fastest time of the morning in 2:04.14, with Phelps, a three-time Olympic champion in the 200m IM, fifth-fastest in 2:04.16.

Lochte led the way in the 100m free in 49.88sec, with Belgian Emmanuel Vanluchene second-quickest in 49.93.

Phelps, competing in his first meet since August, posted the sixth-fastest time of the morning of 50.15 and said he was still getting back in the mind-set of racing.

"It's weird. I feel so much better in physical shape, but I almost don't know how to race," he said. "Those first strokes in the 100m free it was like I was out for a Sunday stroll."

The swimmer who put together an unprecedented eight-gold performance at the Beijing Olympics also said swimming two finals within half an hour would be "challenging" at this point in his training.

"I'm just going to try to fire in two races," he said, adding that he'd go straight to the warm-down pool after the 200m medley and then "try to come back and see if I have any speed for the 100."

Among other events on the final day of the four-day meeting, Hungary's Katinka Hosszu kept up her typically hectic schedule.

Hosszu, who won the 100m back and 400m individual medley titles earlier this week, qualified first in the 200m medley in 2:13.28, and topped the qualifying times in the 200m backstroke with a 2:11.79.

Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry, a two-time Olympic gold medallist in the 200m back, had the second quickest time.

Natalie Coughlin, a 12-time Olympic medallist, led the way into the women's 100m free final in 54.18.

Fellow American Katie Ledecky, world record-holder in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle, continued her bid to expand her range, booking her place in the 100m free final with the fifth-fastest time of 55.37sec.
Source: AFP