OMAHA — Michael Phelps set another world record. No surprise there.
Dara Torres is going back to the Olympics. Who would’ve believed it?
Fresh off an endorsement from Mark Spitz, the iconic star he’ll try to better in Beijing, Phelps set another world record to win the 200-meter individual medley at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials on Friday night.
Phelps claimed his fourth individual victory of the Trials in 1 minute, 54.80 seconds, beating the mark of 1:54.98 he set while winning seven events at last year’s world championships in Australia.
It was the second world record of the meet for Phelps, who also swam faster than anyone in history to win the 400 IM. His only piece of unfinished business is the 100 butterfly and an expected showdown with world record-holder Ian Crocker.
Phelps must finish first or second in that event Saturday to ensure he swims eight events at the Olympics. Then he’ll need to win them all to beat Spitz’s record of seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
It’s been a long time since Torres made her first Olympic team — 24 years, to be exact. Now 41 and with a 2-year-old daughter, she completed her improbable Olympic comeback, making the U.S. team for the fifth time by winning the 100 freestyle.
Wearing goggles older than some of her competitors, Torres got off to a blazing start and guarded her lead on the furious return lap to win in 53.78, beating out Natalie Coughlin’s 53.83.
“I’m ecstatic. I can’t believe it,” Torres said. “It’s sort of bittersweet for me because I’ve made my fifth Olympic team, but I’m going to be away from my daughter for a month and that’s really hard emotionally.
“But I’m happy to be going to Beijing.”
