SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Even Michael Phelps can be wimpy about the weather.
The superstar from the Beijing Olympics clobbered the competition in the 200-meter butterfly at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix on Friday night.
Phelps touched first in 1 minute, 54.31 seconds, beating the field by 5.67 seconds.
He rarely swims outdoors, so the cool, windy evening wasn’t exactly to his liking. Then he had to wait to retrieve his clothes after the event, when the basket containing them ended up at the other end of the pool.
“I’m freezing,” he said. “It’s a lot warmer in the water.”
Phelps’ time lowered the meet record of 1:55.93 set by Davis Tarwater last year, and earned him a $100 reward.
“I felt awesome the first 50,” he said. “I felt the wind the third 50. I was really happy with the time.”
Phelps owns the world record of 1:52.03 set in Beijing, where he won a record eight gold medals. David Mosko was second in 1:59.98, making him and Phelps the only men in the nine-swimmer final to go under 2 minutes.
Friday’s events were dominated by Olympians from the U.S. and Australia.
Ryan Lochte earned a close victory in the 400 individual medley, an event requiring all four strokes that Phelps has discarded in favor of shorter distances.
Lochte, the 400 IM bronze medalist in Beijing, won in 4:18.62, just ahead of Robert Margalis, who was second in 4:18.84.
Aussie Brenton Rickard, who was fifth in Beijing, won the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.44. His countrywoman, Meagen Nay, won the 400 freestyle in 4:08.74, ahead of Olympian Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe. Rising American teenager Dagny Knutson was fourth.
Ricky Berens won the 200 free in 1:47.18. He earned a gold medal when Phelps & Co. won the 800 free relay in Beijing, where Berens swam in the preliminaries.
Dana Vollmer, a 2004 Olympian, was a double winner. She took the 100 free in 54.23, and the 100 fly in 58.40.
