By John Lohn
OMAHA, Nebraska, July 5. HE'S perfect. Racing his fifth final of the week, Michael Phelps made it 5-for-5 by winning the latest round in his rivalry with Ian Crocker in the 100 butterfly. Phelps clocked a time of 50.89 and will now turn his attention to the Beijing Olympics, where he'll contest eight events – including relays – and chase the seven gold medals won by Mark Spitz at the 1972 Games in Munich.
Phelps and Crocker have traded victories through the years, with Phelps winning in Athens in 2004 and at last year's World Championships. Crocker won world titles in 2003 and 2005 and owns the world record of 50.40. Their next duel will come in Beijing and another gold-silver finish for the United States seems likely.
Crocker took the lead off the start, as per his custom, and touched the wall first at the 50-meter mark with a split of 23.93. Phelps touched at the midpoint in 24.41, but he started making up ground with every stroke and pulled away as the men headed to the wall. Crocker finished in a time of 51.62, an effort he should better in early August.
"I knew two to three strokes out that wasn't going to have the finish I wanted," Phelps said. "There are a few things I want to work on before the Olympics. Better turns, faster speed. This week turned out how I wanted it to. I'm ready for the challenge before me."
Headed to Beijing in the 200 butterfly, Gil Stovall was the third-place finisher, thanks to a time of 52.08. It was slightly slower than the 51.86 he produced during the semifinals. Fourth place went to Tyler McGill (52.31) and fifth was occupied by Chris Brady in 52.66. The rest of the field included Bobby Bollier (52.69), Peter Verhoef (52.72) and Davis Tarwater (52.83).
Video Footage Removed Due to NBC Restrictions
Go to Swimming World's 2008 Olympics Landing Page for the most comprehensive coverage of the meet on the Internet.
