High 5 For Phelps, Hoff; Hoelzer, Weber-Gale Thrive; Torres Advances
POSTED: 1:04 am EDT July 6, 2008
Omaha, NE -- (Sports Network) - Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff won their fifth individual events at the U.S. Olympic Swimming trials, while Saturday produced a banner night for Margaret Hoelzer and Garrett Weber-Gale.Also, 41-year-old Dara Torres continued to amaze the swimming world by advancing to Sunday's final of the 50-meters with an American record. Phelps captured the 100-meter butterfly in a time of 50.89 seconds to rally past world record-holder Ian Crocker (51.62). Phelps' four other titles at these trials were from the 200 and 400 individual medleys, the 200 free and 200 butterfly. He is slated to compete in eight events in Beijing, including three relays. The 23-year-old Phelps will chase Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at a single Olympics when he goes to China next month. Four years ago, Phelps won six gold medals and two bronze in Athens. "I'm excited, I'm ready for the challenge that lies ahead of me," Phelps said. "I think at the Olympics it's going to be harder than it was here. It's a higher level. It's something I'm looking forward to and hopefully it's something I'll be successful at." With the second-place finish, Crocker is headed to his third Olympics. "I felt like the young wolves were coming out to eat the old one," the 25- year-old Crocker said. "I'm thankful to get on the team." The 19-year-old Hoff won the 800 meters in a time of 8 minutes, 20.81 seconds. Kate Ziegler (8:25.38) was second and also earned a spot on the team. Hoff's time was a U.S. trials record, bettering the mark from 20 years ago by Janet Evans (8:23.59). "During this week, I didn't know how this event would go, but now that I have five events, I think it's kind of like a rehearsal for Beijing," Hoff said. "I think I did really well. Hopefully I reproduce in Beijing." Hoff's four other individual events won at these trials were the 200 and 400 freestyle events and the individual medleys. Weber-Gale, the winner of Thursday night's 100-meter freestyle final established an American record by winning the 50-meter free in a time of 21.47 seconds, eclipsing the old mark of 21.59 set just a day prior by Cullen Jones. Defending world champion Ben Wildman-Tobriner earned a spot on the squad by coming in second at 21.65, with Jones (21.81) and Gary Hall Jr. (21.91) third and fourth, respectively. "U.S. sprinting has been ready to go on top for a long time," Weber-Gale said. "I think Ben, and I and Cullen, and all the rest of these guys are ready to take on the competition and represent the U.S. in Beijing and win some gold medals." By earlier making the relay team, Jones is just the third African-American swimmer in the history of the U.S. Olympic squad. Hall, who was the two-time defending champion in the event at the Summer Games, failed in his bid to make his fourth Olympics. The 33-year-old Hall hinted at retirement after the race, but said he's proud of the team that's going to China. "I was glad to be a part of the history of sprinting in America," the 10-time Olympic medalist said. "This is my last race...until I race again." Hoelzer set a world record in winning the 200-meter backstroke. She finished in a time of two minutes, 6.09 seconds, besting the previous old world mark of Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry (2:06.39) from this February. Elizabeth Beisel, who was named to the Olympic team due to a second-place finish in the 400-meter individual medley, was second at 2:06.92, while Hayley McGregory, who set the early pace was third at 2:07.69. "I wanted to be close at the 100 and wanted to go out with Hayley and be in front of Elizabeth at the end," Hoelzer said. "I don't know how you can't be excited to race in an event like this." Hoelzer was the fifth-place finisher in the 2004 Olympics in the 200 backstroke. "This is my first world record," Hoelzer said. "It's a wonderful surprise. I'm in awe and amazed. I'm happy to be where I am right now." At 15, Beisel is the youngest on the U.S. Olympic team. She'll turn 16 on August 18, the day after the pool version of the program concludes. "To be on the Olympic team, I was not expecting this," Beisel said. "I thought about this since I was a little girl watching it on TV." On Friday night, Torres, mother of a two-year-old daughter, clinched a spot in her fifth Olympics by winning the 100-meter freestyle. A night later she shattered the American record in the 50 with a time of 24.38 seconds. It was a mark that was set earlier on Saturday by Lara Jackson in the prelims and then eclipsed in the first heat by the 24.48 from Jessica Hardy. Then came Torres gliding through the pool to the new record. Kara Lynn Joyce (24.70) was third-best and Jackson (24.94) fourth, also making the final. It's been an incredible Olympic run for Torres, winner of nine medals, starting with a relay gold in 1984 in her current home city of Los Angeles, and most recently capturing four medals in 2000 -- this after coming out of a seven-year retirement. Not only that, but last November Torres had surgery to remove a bone spur responsible for a partial rotator cuff tear in her right shoulder. She also had surgery on her knee in January. Torres said she had to deal with crank phone calls Friday night, which limited her to four hours of sleep. Torres said her body hurt Saturday morning before getting into the pool for the preliminaries. "This morning I got in the pool and felt I was hit by a freight train," she said. "I told my coach I'm going to take it easy in the morning. I swam easy and I felt okay." Other than the women's 50, there is one more final on Sunday - the men's 1,500 freestyle. Eric Vendt, trying to make his third Olympics, set a U.S. trials record in the preliminary heats Saturday afternoon.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.










