The swimsuit’s role in creating champions

IS IT THE suit, or the swimmer?

This is the question that is being asked of Michael Phelps and other world-class swimmers today. Precisely how much of their speed in the water is due to their own innate abilities as opposed to the more streamlined swimsuits currently in vogue is a question that vexes the swimming community. After all, Phelps seemed once invincible in his Speedo LZR, last year’s hot swim racing fashion. But all of a sudden German swimmer Paul Biedermann, in his new, high-tech Arena X-Glide suit, has left Phelps behind.

The ethics of these uber suits is currently the only topic of debate in the swimming world. But, unlike the suits, the debate is not brand new. In fact, in 1926 when Trudy Ederle became the first woman, and only sixth person, to swim the English Channel, beating the existing men’s record by nearly two hours, her success was due, in part, to her innovative swimsuit.

The first swimmers wore nothing, and this was more or less the norm until the 19th century when English men’s swimming clubs began holding competitions that sometimes included female spectators. As a result, to protect the virtue of these spectators, male swimmers wore one-piece singlets, usually made of wool or flannel, and later of silk. These “unitards’’ originally stretched from the ankle to the wrist but evolved over time to expose most of the legs and arms.

It was different for women. Repressive morality forced women to wear cumbersome swimming skirts or gowns with bloomers and stockings that covered nearly the entire body and made the act of swimming nearly impossible. Not until the Women’s Swimming Association was created in New York in 1917 and began sponsoring women’s swimming meets did it become acceptable for female athletes to abandon these skirts and wear less-restrictive unitards that began above the knee and left the arms completely exposed.

Ederle wore such a suit in 1925 when she first tried and failed to swim the English Channel. During the journey, which ended halfway across due to both bad weather and the ill effects of something she had consumed, her suit had proven to be problematic. The woolen singlet had caused significant chafing around her arms and over the course of her swim had lost its shape. The neckline had gaped open like the mouth of a basking shark, creating considerable drag as she swam through the water using the American crawl.

As she trained in France for a second attempt during the summer of 1926, Ederle and her sister Meg began experimenting with Ederle’s suit. This time it was made of silk, which helped with the chafing, but during training Ederle discovered that the scoop neck still slowed her down.

So the two took matters into their own hands. They removed a skirt from the original suit and, with additional material Meg bought in Paris, fashioned a two-piece suit consisting of a brassiere that opened and closed in the front, and a bottom, akin to a pair of tight-fitting briefs.

The result worked beautifully. The two-piece suit gave her more freedom of movement. The tight-fitting top caused comparatively little drag, did not chafe her skin, and the clasps on the brassiere even allowed Ederle to make adjustments in the event the material stretched.

Although they did not realize it, some two decades before Louis Reard and Jacques Heim received credit for inventing the bikini, the Ederle sisters already had. Unfortunately, neither sister realized they had created not only something brand new but something with much commercial potential. They never thought to trademark or patent the design and lost the opportunity to earn millions of dollars.

No matter. On Aug. 6, 1926 Ederle entered the English Channel on the French shore and emerged 14 hours and 31 minutes later at Kingsdown Beach in England, the first woman to conquer the Channel, evidence of success for both the suit and the swimmer. Although she may have missed out on a fortune on her swimsuit, she still won something far more important: the right for women everywhere to compete as athletes.

Glenn Stout is the author of “Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World,’’ published last week by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Golden Phelps eyes road to London

ROME — Olympic great Michael Phelps found all the motivation he needed to launch out on the long road to the 2012 Games at the swimming World Championships.
A defeat, and a dazzling victory over Milorad Cavic in the 100m butterfly will give Phelps plenty to focus on as he plots his next Olympic exploits.
He became the first man to break the 50-second barrier with a time of 49.82, reaffirming his superiority over the Serb after beating him by just one-hundredth of a second at the Beijing Games.
"The coolest thing is being able to have races like this, because it brings the best out of everyone," Phelps said of the tension-filled rematch.
"That's what sport is about, you have to go to the next level when racing these kind of people."
Phelps also won gold in the 200m butterfly, finally posting a world record that lived up to his lofty expectations in the event. Three relay golds took his total to five to balance his defeat by German Paul Biederman in the 200m freestyle.
"Michael's back in the game, which is good for us," said Phelps's personal coach, Bob Bowman, who was also head coach of the US men's team.
"I know for Michael you can expect anything, so I'm never really surprised," Bowman said. "He can always pull out something like the 100 fly when he really needs it."
In the wake of his glorious campaign in Beijing, where he earned a record eight gold medals to take his total to 14, Phelps took six months off.
He'd barely gotten back in the water when he found himself tabloid fodder - a London paper publishing a picture of him holding a marijuana pipe at a party.
A sprinkling of his sponsors tut-tutted, the USA Swimming federation slapped his wrist with a three-month ban, and the welter of negative publicity had Phelps saying he wasn't sure he wanted to swim on through the London Games.
Nor has all gone smoothly in the pool, as he tried, and finally rejected, a new freestyle stroke designed to help him become a player in the 100m free.
Phelps's personal uncertainties all played out against the backdrop of a costume controversy splitting the sport.
The debate over the super-fast polyurethane swimsuits gained a new intensity when Biedermann seized Phelps's 200m free world record while wearing one of the speedy models - which are headed to the scrapheap next year.
Biedermann ended Phelps's run of 10 straight individual victories in world and Olympic competition - a record stretching back to 2005 and including five individual golds at the 2007 World Championships and five in Beijing.
His last major defeat had been at the hands of compatriot Ian Crocker in the 100m butterfly final at the 2005 worlds.
"We're going to go back and work on the 200 free, that's a big motivator for him if he wants to race this kid," Bowman said.
And if Biedermann's victory inspired any doubts about Phelps's abilities, his scintillating victory over Cavic silenced them.
"When I was contemplating coming back, I remember watching some of the videos. I thought about the excitement I have when watching a race and after a race and the emotions that were going through my head.
"I wanted to get back to that, and this meet has brought me back to that. I think it's going to help me over the next few years," he said.
Bowman wasn't surprised to see his swimmer rise to the occasion against Cavic, who had needled Phelps over the swimsuit issue, snatched the American's recently achieved 100m fly world record in the semi-finals and told anyone who would listen that he still believed he had deserved gold in Beijing.
"He loves the big races, loves the energy," Bowman said. "He sort of thrives on that, while some other swimmers don't."
And Bowman was delighted to see what he'll have to work with as Phelps gets down to the serious build-up to London.
"It's very gratifying considering the year we've had and to know we're at that level starting the next season," Bowman said.
Cavic said the American remained the toughest man in the pool.
"Michael Phelps is Michael Phelps," Cavic said. "He does what he does - and he did."

Phelps nets USA TODAY weekly award with butterfly world title

Michael Phelps' week at the FINA world swimming championships in Rome had highs and lows, just like his last 12 months. Phelps, who won eight gold medals just under a year ago at the Beijing Olympics and then came back to earth when controversial photos of him with a marijuana bong surfaced, experienced a disappointment early in the Italian meet and then was the picture of intense celebration when he won the 100-meter butterfly with a world record time on Saturday.

Phelps lost his first major international race since 2005, the 200-meter freestyle, to unheralded German Paul Biedermann earlier in the week and then roared back to claim five gold medals by the end of the meet. For his efforts, especially in his grudge-match butterfly win over Serbian Milorad Cavic on Saturday, Phelps earns this week's USA TODAY Olympic Athlete wof the Week award.

Phelps stuns Serbian to regain world record

(CNN) -- Michael Phelps wrested back his world 100-meter butterfly record after another titanic showdown with Milorad Cavic at the world swimming championships in Rome on Saturday evening.

Olympic champion Phelps, who saw his Serbian rival beat his leading mark in Friday's semifinals with a time of 50.01 seconds, came home to win in a stunning 49.82.

Cavic, who controversially finished second behind the American in a photo-finish in Beijing last year, also went below the previous best as he was runner-up in 49.95.

It was Phelps' second world record of the meeting, and his fourth gold medal -- despite racing without the revolutionary polyurethane swimsuits that have allowed 39 records to tumble this week.

Cavic, who did wear one of the new-generation suits -- which will not be allowed next year -- finished ahead of Spain's Rafael Munoz (50.41).

Phelps came from seventh to triumph in China as he claimed a record eight gold medals, but this time overhauled Cavic from fourth place at the 50m mark.

"You can tell after my celebration that it satisfied me a little bit," Phelps told reporters. "It doesn't matter about the suit, it's about how you train.

"I set it up perfectly, it was exactly what I wanted to do. I had to be out in that first 50m within striking distance and I went out in 23.3 seconds. That's the fastest I've been out in, I haven't been within half a second of that. It's really gratifying."

In other men's action on the penultimate day of the championships, Brazil's Cesar Cielo clinched a sprint double when he won the 50m freestyle title, becoming the third man to win that event as well as the 100m at the same meeting.

He headed off world record-holder Frederick Bousquet in second and another Frenchman, third-placed Amaury Leveaux.

Britain's Liam Tancock set a new world record in the men's 50m backstroke, clocking 24.08 seconds in the first heat of the semifinals.

In women's events, Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry notched a third straight 200m backstroke title in a world-record time of two minutes and 4.81 seconds, beating the 2:05.24 she set in winning Olympic gold last year.

She headed off Russia's Anastasia Zueva ( 2:04.94) and American Elizabeth Beisel (2:06.39).

China set a world record in winning the 4x100m medley relay, clocking 3:52.19 to finish ahead of Australia (3:52.58) and Germany (3:55.79).

Olympic champion and world record-holder Rebecca Adlington could finish only fourth in the 800m freestyle, which was won by Denmark's Lotte Friis from Britain's Joanne Jackson and third-placed Italian Alessia Filippi

Cavic says he regrets pre-race trash talk with Phelps over suits

ROME — Milorad Cavic didn't have any regrets about his tactics after losing to Michael Phelps again Saturday. It was his pre-race trash talk that he appeared most sorry about.
After morning heats Friday, Cavic lambasted Phelps for sticking with his Speedo swimsuit, offering to buy his rival one of the new, supposedly faster suits from Arena or Jaked. Cavic intimated that Phelps was compromising his chances of winning to maintain his lucrative contract with his sponsor.
"When I race Michael Phelps, I want him at his best. Because only when he's at his best could I ever feel like I've gotten the race I wanted," said Cavic, who wears Arena.
"Of course, winning is pretty important to me. But I want the atmosphere, I want the experience to be everything that it was tonight. There are no regrets. I did my best. He did something huge - huge. My only regret is I let the media make what it makes of it all."
In almost an exact replay of last year's Beijing Olympics, Phelps beat Cavic with a furious finish in the 100-metre butterfly, breaking the world record set by the Serb in Friday night's semifinals.
Phelps clocked 49.82 seconds, Cavic touched in 49.95 and Rafael Munoz of Spain was third in 50.41.
Cavic was nearly seven-tenths ahead of Phelps at the 50-metre mark, but he couldn't hold on to the lead on the second lap.
"It was an incredible race. We all went a lot faster than we expected," Cavic said. "Tactically, I didn't do anything wrong. I think I had a much better finish than usual ... But I knew that if I was going to win this race, I needed a big enough lead in front of Michael, and at the 50-metre mark I turned and saw that he was much closer than I would have expected.
"I had no idea if I was going too slow or if he was going too fast, but he was too close for my comfort and at the end I knew it was going to be very, very tight. Given that he was so close to me at the 50-metre mark, I was very, very strong toward the end. But Michael Phelps is Michael Phelps and he does what he does and he did."
At last year's Beijing Olympics, Cavic came closer to beating Phelps than anyone else.
The American-born Serb lost by a mere hundredth of a second, a finish so close that the Serbs filed a protest and swimming's governing body had to review the tape down to the 10-thousandth of a second.
After the Olympics, Cavic ended a seven-year spell working with coach Mike Bottom in California, deciding he wanted to move to Serbia. But the roof of his training pool in Serbia caved in and he ended up training with Italian coach Andrea Di Nino in San Marino.
In a gesture toward his coach - and perhaps in a move to win over the crowd - Cavic waved a banner for the local football team, AS Roma, when he was introduced before the race.
"It was a gift to me," Di Nino said. "I'm from Rome and I'm a Roma fan."
While the 100 fly didn't plan out as he hoped for, Cavic will still leave Rome with his first gold medal at a world championship. On Monday, Cavic won the 50 fly, a non-Olympic event that Phelps does not swim.
"He's happy. He got one gold and one silver medal, but he still wants to improve," Di Nino said. "And it's just between him and Phelps. Munoz was six-tenths behind.
"It was a great race, between two champions," the coach added. "Michael Phelps is the Michael Jordan of swimming. Losing to Michael Phelps is an honour, and Phelps knows he can't rest on his laurels in the coming years. Cavic is right there."
But Cavic might not get the chance to race Phelps again until the 2011 worlds in Shanghai. Di Nino doesn't want to wait that long.
"We're ready. It's Phelps that doesn't race during the season. Cavic races World Cup. But it's like boxing - whoever has the title decides on the rematch," Di Nino said. "We hope it's before Shanghai."

For the record

You need have just passing interest in swimming to know the significance of this comment. “I did my best,” said Milorad Cavic on Saturday, “he did something huge,” after Michael Phelps beat him to gold in the 100m butterfly at the world championships in Rome. He clocked 49.82 seconds, snipping 0.19 seconds off the record Cavic had set the day earlier. The Cavic-Phelps rivalry is one of the biggest in sport today, and the Serb had been smarting since Phelps took the gold from him last year at the Beijing Olympics. Cavic continued to put it down to faulty timing (the difference was 0.01 seconds), and taunted Phelps last week that he’d buy him a superior swimsuit. 
That suit reference was handy, because at a time when swimming gear is threatening to become the bigger story than the races themselves, Phelps’s performance and the drama of the rivalry have returned sport to the big question: is Phelps the greatest sportsperson of our time? At the 2008 Olympics, he made good on his candidacy to that claim by taking eight golds. By the time he was done at Beijing he said he’d used up every bit of reserve, and would soon go back to training to shoot for new, bigger challenges. At Rome, he has shown what that could be. 
The greatest sportspersons win that reputation by doing two things: performing better and more variedly than anyone of their time or before, and by raising the profile of their discipline. On each count, Phelps clears the bar. At a time when technology and performance are being carefully untangled in determining what’s legit in swimming, Phelps is making a dramatic case for himself and his ambition.

Michael Phelps accomplishes goals in and out of the pool

Phelps spoke of wanting to elevate the sport during non-Olympic years, keeping swimming afloat once the last anthem was played. Elbow room on the ESPN crawl and highlight shows in 2009 and 2010?

You almost felt like saying: Good luck with that.

It seemed a far more difficult prospect than winning the eight gold medals he took home from Beijing a little less than a year ago.

Years from now, Phelps' greatest accomplishment at the World Swimming Championships may not have been that barrier-breaking, epic victory against Milorad Cavic of Serbia in the 100-meter butterfly, one of his five gold-medal results in Rome. (The last one came Sunday in a world-record performance in the 400-meter medley relay with teammates Aaron Peirsol, Eric Shanteau and David Walters in 3 minutes 27.28 seconds.) How about putting swimming on the front pages and national sports shows three years before the London Olympics?

"He had something he wanted to do. Like this," said Phelps' longtime coach, Bob Bowman, gesturing to the packed house of a pool at the Foro Italico complex. "To have this live on NBC, that's exactly what he wanted to do."

That, in part, was why Phelps decided to go forward when he could have packed away his Speedo LZR Racer after the Beijing Olympics. There was a matter of unfinished business to consider when he mulled a possible retirement after the publication of the bong photo in a British tabloid in January.

"It's a start," said Phelps, who had two individual golds, one silver medal in the 200 freestyle and three gold medals in relays. "For me, I just have more things I wanted to do. That's why I wanted to come back. I don't care if anyone says it's a bad idea or not. It's something that I wanted, and that's why I'm doing it."

Granted, the elevation of swimming in Rome came from something of a perfect storm -- his first international meet after the tabloid controversy, polyurethane bodysuit chaos and perfect foils in the pool for Phelps, one new (Paul Biedermann of Germany) and one old (Cavic).

And the world records. Always the records. Who can forget the excess of speed?

"I'm sure it made it more fun with all the records," USA Swimming's Mark Schubert said. "But I'm sure glad to see it going back to normal."

There were 43 world records in the eight-day meet, four more coming on the final day. Many of the records, mostly fueled by the performance-enhancing buoyant bodysuits (which will be banned in 2010) will stand for a "long time," as veteran Dara Torres put it.

Coaches will have to lower the bar of expectation, at least in terms of time, when the new suits are no longer allowed in January. But maybe it won't be as difficult as it may appear.

"In some strange way, it kind of opened the door," said Peirsol, who lowered his world mark in the 200 backstroke here. "You almost stopped creating a barrier for yourself. You go beyond what you thought you could do."

That held true for Phelps in Rome. His mental toughness carried him, compensating for the six months of training missed after Beijing. He wasn't happy with his splits in the first two relay wins or his performance in the loss to Biedermann in the 200 freestyle but got better as the meet went along.

"Last night's victory in the 100 fly, that kind of says it all about Michael," Schubert said. "That was a such classic race. Both guys went extremely fast, under the world record.

"I think Michael would be the first one to tell you that his preparation wasn't the same as it was in Beijing. His mental toughness is just . . . you really can't compare it to anybody."

Schubert is wondering how Phelps and others will adapt once the the suits, including the LZR Racer, are banned.

"The only thing I'm a little concerned with is going to be our whole mental switch with the times, because Michael is very time-driven and records have been important to him," he said. "But it's going to be important that he do that mental switch.

"To me, the race with Cavic was all about racing, and he is all about racing."

There's always that quote to get Phelps to find that extra gear. Phelps is also motivated by "small things," using them to pull himself out of bed and plunge into a pool and train.

"I never want to look back at my career and ever have a what-if, what if I did something different?" he said. "After London, if I can look back and say that, then I consider my career a success."

Old suit? Head injury? Phelps wins anyway

Michael Phelps showed all the talk about suits meant little.

Milorad Cavic learned all his talk about Phelps just added fuel to Phelps' fire.

 

And Phelps, the Indiana Jones of swimming, again averted disaster to win big.

 

An hour before going head-to-head with chief antagonist Cavic, he clunked heads with another swimming during warmups. The collision was hard enough to break the bridge on his swim goggles, cause temporary blurred vision, and throw a fright into coach Bob Bowman.

 

Yet the result? Phelps set a world record in beating Cavic in the much-anticipated 100-meter butterfly Saturday at swimming's world championships in Rome.

 

Phelps' swim was reminiscent of the trail-early, then close fast race in which he beat Cavic for Olympic gold in Beijing. Except Saturday's race was more decisive than the one-hundredth-of-a-second thriller of last August, when Phelps' desperate lunge beat Cavic to the wall and sustained his historic march toward a record eight gold medals.

 

This time, Phelps beat Cavic by a couple eyelashes, rather than a blink: 49.82 seconds vs. 49.95 seconds. It was the first time anyone had gone under 50 seconds for the race.

 

"It doesn't matter what suit you wear," Phelps said. "It matters how you train."

 

Phelps celebrated this victory like few others. He punched the water and yanked at his swimsuit, the year-old LZR that Cavic had cheekily offered to replace with the newer polyurethane suits responsible for breaking so many records at this meet. Cavic's meaning was clear -- he didn't want Phelps to have an excuse if he beat him.

 

"It definitely gives a little extra motivation when there are comments," Phelps told reporters. "That's just part of sport. I think it makes it more exciting."

 

Cavic, who led by half a body length after the first 50 but knew that wasn't enough, had to hand it to Phelps. Bowman said the race was Phelps' best ever at the distance. Cavic raced in the latest-generation polyurethane suit, which along with the polyurethane-paneled LZR will be banned next year.

 

 The sport's international governing body announced Saturday the high-tech suits, which reduce drag and enhance buoyancy, are out as of Jan. 1.Going into the meet's final day, a staggering 39 world records have been broken, including three Saturday.

 

Phelps again showed he can keep distractions at bay. At the Olympics, it was a race won despite his goggles filling with water. At the world meet, he came back from a stunning defeat to Paul Biedermann in the 200 freestyle to end on a high note. Saturday's victory came after a warmup swim where he banged heads with Australian swimmer Cate Campbell as they shared a lane. Phelps suffered temporary blurred vision in one eye but was apparently OK for the race just an hour later.

 

"It took the wind out of me a little bit," Phelps admitted. Campbell was not injured.

 

You have to wonder whether Cavic wishes he had kept his thoughts to himself. But he didn't sound as if he would in the future.

 

"I have nothing but respect for Michael," Cavic said. "He is the best. Do I have regrets? I don't see that I did anything wrong."

 

Cavic, again the catalyst for more Phelps drama, was happy with the race.

 

"It was an incredible race," Cavic said. "We all went a lot faster than we expected."

 

Cavic was matter-of-fact in defeat. In the race aftermath, he told Phelps: "You're the man."

 

Phelps said nothing, simply smiling in return.

 

Phelps Gets Emotional After Victory

Michael Phelps has a personality. At the Olympics, he was an automaton and, of course, the bong controversy pushed him into a shell. But when he heard rival Milorad Cavic offer to get him one of those newfangled suits so he wouldn't "have any excuses" if he lost in his Speedo, Phelps got hot. He became the first swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly, 49.82 seconds, to beat Cavic (49.95) at the world championships in Rome Saturday. Then he hopped on the lane rope, pumped his fists, glared at his opponent and tugged at his swimsuit. Phelps' coach said he never saw Phelps more emotional. One word of advice from your friends at OTF: find a new way to mellow out.

•So just when the Yankees thought they were good enough to play wallflower at the trade deadline, they go into Chicago and lose three in a row to the White Sox, while the Red Sox are winning three in a row. The baseball gods humble you in a hurry.

• Vikings quarterback Tavaris Jackson injured his left knee in practice Saturday, so Minnesota, left at the altar by Brett Favre, now has Sage Rosenfels atop its depth chart — and probably Michael Vick's cellphone number close by.

• The Giants signed their first-round pick, receiver Hakeem Nicks, to a five-year, $12.5 million deal in time for training camp. This is significant because in their quest to replace Plaxico Burress the Giants needed to get Nicks in camp on time to have a chance of getting him ready to be a starter this season. They need a receiver big enough for Eli Manning to find and hit in the red zone and, well, Yao Ming is out for the year. (Hey, it was either Yao Ming or Wacky Wavy Inflatable Arm Waving Tube Man, and someone is sure to remember I've already used the latter.)

• Ben Roethlisberger arrived at Steelers camp and, no surprise, waved aside questions about his legal problems in Lake Tahoe. He's a football player. He's there to play football ... for his football team ... on the football field ... and he has to get ready for the football season. "I don't know what you're talking about," Big Ben said. "It's football."

• Tiger Woods is on fire. Following up his second-round 63, he shot a 65 to take a one-stroke lead in the Buick Open. Can we declare him officially back, or do we need one more day?

• After the second autopsy performed on Arturo Gatti, examiners would not rule out homicide, conflicting with the conclusion of Brazilian authorities, who ruled it a suicide. So that saga goes on. Terrible for his family.

• Ravens receiver Derrick Mason did change his mind, unretired and reported to camp, leaving Mike Mussina, Michael Strahan and Gracie Allen as the only people who retired once and meant it. Ask grandma who Gracie Allen was, kids. We go for the older crowd on Sundays.

Michael Phelps' world records not wearing well

The suits: Cavic, wearing the high-tech bodysuit, the polyurethane Arena X-Glide, at the world championships, offered to buy Phelps one, saying: "If Michael wants an Arena, he just has to say. If he wants a Jaked they don't want to give it to him for free, I'll buy it for him."

Phelps will stick with his "old school" Speedo LZR Racer.

"I'm wearing this," he said. "If he wants to wear a different suit, he can throw this one on."

For the record, Phelps was saying this after Cavic took away his world record Friday in the semifinals of the 100 fly, going 50.01 seconds. Phelps (50.48) didn't offer to buy Cavic a Speedo.

The lies: Cavic, a Serb who went by the first name Mike as he was raised in Orange County, is now living and training in Italy. The move to Europe hasn't cut into his candor quotient about Phelps and the suits.

"I think in the media, it's been portrayed he has no options," Cavic said of Phelps' suit choices. "He has some. It's a complete lie. I know he's making a lot of money from Speedo. But you know what, throughout my career I've learned this: Free will is a gift with a price tag and whatever you choose to do, you're going to pay."

The videotape: At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Cavic was out-touched by Phelps' final lunge of faith in the 100 fly, losing by one-hundredth of a second. Not only was it the seventh gold medal of Phelps' eventual eight, it represented the defining moment of the Games.

Cavic, meanwhile, has been making like a conspiracy theorist, like an Oliver Stone breaking down the tape frame by frame. Almost a year later, he is insisting that he really did win the race, blaming the Omega timing pad system, still claiming in Rome that he did, indeed, touch first in China. (Look out for the grassy knoll at the Foro Italico tonight.)

In lowering Phelps' world record of 50.22, which was set July 9 at nationals in Indianapolis, Cavic went out with his typical explosive start, going 22.83 in the opening 50 meters.

"He was out quick," Phelps said. "I know tomorrow that if I want to be in that race, that first 50 is going to have to be a lot closer than a second behind."

Phelps was part of one world-record effort in the 800 freestyle relay, which the U.S. won in 6:58.55. The other members of the relay were Ricky Berens, David Walters and Ryan Lochte.

The leadoff leg featured Phelps against Paul Biedermann of Germany. And Biedermann, as he had in the 200 freestyle final, easily beat Phelps again, 1:42.81 to 1:44.49.

"I actually had it in my mind, 'If you beat him one time you can beat him again,' " said Biedermann, who broke Phelps' 200 free world record Tuesday. "And it really motivated me."

Still, Biedermann vs. Phelps was overshadowed by the talk of tonight's showdown between Cavic and Phelps in the final.

The rivalry between Phelps and Cavic flared against the backdrop of another tumultuous day in Rome, in and out of the pool. FINA, the sport's international governing body, announced its ban of the controversial bodysuits would take effect Jan. 1.

All the while, world records continued to tumble with numbing regularity. Six more fell, bringing the total to 35 at this meet. Not all world records are created equal, but Aaron Peirsol's destruction of his own mark was an impressive show of force in the 200 backstroke.

Peirsol, wearing an Arena suit from his waist to the ankles, went 1:51.92, beating silver medalist Ryosuke Irie of Japan by 0.59 seconds. Lochte was third.

"That was not a piece of cake," said the Orange County-raised Peirsol.

His victory was a popular one by virtue of his personality and his failure to make the finals in the 100 backstroke, a setback that seemed to affect his teammates. He watched the 100 final from the stands and said the view was hard to swallow.

"I may have been more rested than anyone else, though," said Peirsol, whose previous world record in the 200 (1:53.08) came July 11 at nationals.

"It was kind of a blessing in disguise," he said of not making the 100 final. "I wanted to race. I saw that I pulled out from the beginning feeling all right. When I kept pulling away, that was even more [motivation] just to go faster."

Peirsol said he had been fighting the longer distance.

"I've been struggling to get faster in that for many years now. Kind of when it rains, it pours, I guess," he said.

That may have been the best summation of another world-record night in Rome.

Cavic has a lot to say before facing Phelps in a final at worlds

ROME — Michael Phelps wouldn't take the bait. He will settle this one at the pool, in the race that really matters, wearing his same ol' suit at the world championships.
Milorad Cavic of Serbia can have the spotlight, at least until the final.
Still convinced he beat Phelps last year at the Beijing Olympics, Cavic took some verbal jabs at Phelps on Friday — then took away his world record in the semifinals of the 100-meter butterfly.
"They know I'm a player," Cavic said. "They know I've got a great deal of speed."
Phelps didn't seem too bothered about giving up his record. He knows the real race is today.
"I try to keep most comments to myself to fire me up on the inside," said Phelps, savoring his third gold medal at worlds after leading off for the United States in the 800 freestyle relay. "I've had success doing that in the past, and I'm not about to start making comments now. I'll let the swimming do my talking."
Cavic takes a different approach. If there is something on his mind, he will say it. He doesn't seem to care about offending people — even the man who won eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.
After the morning prelims, Cavic said he is tired of hearing complaints from the Phelps camp about competing in an inferior suit, even offering to buy him one of the polyurethane models responsible for many of the world records this week at the Foro Italico.
In the evening semifinals, Cavic set a world record of 50.01 seconds in his speedy Arena X-Glide suit. Phelps was the second-fastest qualifier at 50.48; he held the previous world record of 50.22.
"I didn't want to go out so fast, but I had so much energy in my body that I couldn't help it," Cavic said. "I'm capable of swimming under 50, which would be enough to win the gold."
The two will be side by side today in the rematch of their thrilling race in China, won by Phelps by a hundredth of a second.
Cavic said he got to the wall first but wasn't credited with the victory at the Olympics because Phelps put more pressure on the touch pad.
As for Cavic's offer to get him a faster suit, Phelps said he is content in his year-old Speedo LZR Racer.
"I'm wearing this," Phelps said.

Phelps sees off Cavic again

Michael Phelps won his grudge match at the World Championships in Rome on Saturday, writes RTÉ's Johnn Kenny.
Phelps won his fourth gold medal of the week in the men's 100metres butterfly, beating outspoken Serbian Milorad Cavic with a devastating final 50m.
Cavic, wearing the Arena X glide full body suit which have caused such controversy at this year's event, lined up against Phelps, in his Speedo LZR, with revenge on his mind after he was pipped by .01sec at the Olympics last year.
At halfway the Serbian held a half-body lead, with Phelps only in fourth, but Phelps finished with gusto to win in a world record time of 48.82, the 37th so far.
Phelps almost fell in to the Sebian's lane as he sat on the lane ropes in celebration, and there was only the briefest of handshakes between the pair in the water. Much of the tension stems from Cavic's comments that he and not Phelps had actually won the race in Beijing.
'There was a lot said leading up to that race,' said Phelps. 'That (his reaction to the win) was all the emotion coming out.'

Cavic brings out best in Phelps

ROME -- Do not mess with Michael Phelps. He runs on emotion, dances through fire and uses all slights, disses and challenges to make himself swim faster. As Ali needed Frazier, Maris needed Mantle and Hatfield needed McCoy, the 2009 version of Michael Phelps, the eight Olympic golds behind him, needed Milorad Cavic to measure himself against at the world championships in Rome.
Phelps outraced his Serbian rival to the wall again in the 100-meter butterfly on Saturday in what is surely the race of the year. Both men went under the record of 50.01 seconds Cavic established on Friday as well as the vaunted 50-second barrier. Phelps touched in 49.82 seconds. Cavic was next in 49.95. The verbal back-and-forth ended in a splash of emotion for Phelps after a week in which the Serbian questioned the legitimacy of Phelps's Olympic victory against him by a hundredth of a second and also dared Phelps to wear the highest-tech swimsuit so he would not have an excuse for defeat should Cavic beat him while wearing one.
The words and Cavic's outstanding swimming ability fueled Phelps's fire and set off a post-race jubilation even Phelps's coach, Bob Bowman, said he had never seen before. "You could tell by my celebration how much this meant to me," Phelps said. After he saw the final times on the scoreboard, Phelps defiantly punched the water with both hands, then spit water through his teeth and slapped his own chest in much the same way Cavic often slaps his own before races. After he put up one finger and saluted his mother and sister in the stands, Phelps then glided from lane five past Cavic in lane four and slapped hands with Rafael Munoz, the Spaniard who won the bronze medal swimming in lane three. "I choose never to comment on anything," Phelps said after his victory. "Things motivate me -- sometimes comments, sometimes what people do. That's just how I tick."
After the race, Cavic spotted Bowman, shook the coach's hand and let out an exasperated exhale as he tellingly rolled his eyes. After all, what more does a man have to do than to go under the existing world record twice in two days?
The showdown had the drama of a heavyweight confrontation. "It was kind of cool before the race," Phelps said. "I felt everyone's eyes watching every move everyone made. It was as exciting a race as I've been a part of."
The duel evolved as expected. Cavic took the lead early and hit the 50-meter wall first in 22.69 seconds. Before the race, Bowman and Phelps had set 23.5 as their maximum. If Phelps was that fast -- his split in Friday's semifinal was just 23.87 -- he would likely be close enough to Cavic to have a fighting chance to win. When Phelps touched in 23.36, Bowman was convinced. "When I saw that," the coach said, "I thought for sure Michael had it." Both Phelps and Cavic concurred. "I set it up in the first 50," Phelps said. "I felt so good coming off that wall. I saw the splashes coming from his lane. Then I saw them coming closer and closer to me." Added Cavic: "At 50 meters, I turned and saw him too close for my comfort. I didn't know if I was going too slow or he was going too fast ... Michael Phelps is Michael Phelps. He does what he does and he did."
Cavic was equally resigned and gracious in his post-race press conference. "I never attacked Michael. I have nothing but respect for the guy," he insisted. "When I race Michael Phelps, I want him at his best." Those remarks didn't necessarily jibe with his pronouncements during the week. Perhaps Cavic's bravado had the opposite effect he intended on both of the swimmers. Cavic confessed he felt "too much energy going on" before the race, as if the tension of the showdown was wearing on him.
By contrast, Phelps' psyche was solid, though his pre-race concerns were physical. Bowman said he had noted Phelps' intensity over the previous 24 hours, the attention to detail in everything from his warm-up swims to his eating to his mannerisms, the telltale signs of a great athlete reaching for his best. But an hour before the event, he bumped heads in the warm-up pool with Australia's Cate Campbell just as the swimmers were stroking in opposite directions. Both suffered bumps on their heads that momentarily blurred their vision and Phelps subluxed his left shoulder. It was enough of a jolt that Bowman asked him if he wanted to scratch from the final. "He was so stunned by it," said Bowman, "We were saying, oh my gosh, what do we do now?'"
Phelps figured it out. It seems he always does. Raise the stakes and widen the stage. That's when Phelps loves to swim. "The coolest thing is being able to have races like this," Phelps said, "because it brings the best out of everybody."
For Phelps, that usually means going one better.

Cavic takes another shot at Phelps

ROME – Milorad Cavic can talk a good game. He’s not too bad in the pool, either.
Bring it on, Michael Phelps.
While Aaron Peirsol was redeeming himself for a huge disappointment, Cavic managed to make plenty of headlines Friday at the world swimming championships – in and out of the water.
First, the Serbian said he’s tired of hearing complaints from the Phelps’ camp about competing in an inferior suit, even going so far as offering to buy him one of the polyurethane models responsible for most of the world records at the Foro Italico.
Then, Cavic went out in the semifinals of the 100-meter butterfly and knocked off Phelps’ world record, nearly becoming the first swimmer to break 50 seconds.
Of course, they don’t hand out gold after the finals. The race Cavic really wants to win is still to come.
In the meantime, he’s doing plenty of talking. Cavic hasn’t backed off on his belief that he beat Phelps to the wall at the Beijing Olympics, all photographic and timing evidence to the contrary.
Now, the Serbian has another shot at the man who officially won by a hundredth of a second on the way to capturing eight gold medals in China.
Phelps was the second-fastest qualifier and he’ll be side-by-side with Cavic in the middle of the pool Saturday night.
“I didn’t want to go out so fast, but I had so much energy in my body that I couldn’t help it,” said Cavic, who touched in 50.01 seconds to break Phelps’ record of 50.22. “I’m capable of swimming under 50, which would be enough to win the gold.”
Phelps went 50.48 in his semifinal heat and came back less than an hour later to claim his third gold medal of the championships, swimming the leadoff leg of the 800 freestyle relay won by the US with a world record of 6 minutes, 58.55 seconds—one-hundredth of a second faster than its gold medal time at the Olympics.
As for Cavic’s offer to get him a faster suit, Phelps said he’s content in his year-old Speedo LZR Racer.
“I’m wearing this,” Phelps said. “If he wants to wear a different suit, he can throw this one on.”
Cavic wears the Arena X-Glide, which is made of performance-enhancing polyurethane, while Phelps has stuck with his year-old Speedo LZR Racer.
“There’s three options for Michael,” Cavic said. “The first option is to use the suit that he’s wearing, the second option is to get one of these (polyurethane) suits, which I guarantee Arena will provide him within the hour, as soon as he wants. The third option would actually be a dream of mine, to have the whole final everybody swimming in briefs. I swear to God, this is it, this is what I want.”
In the relay, Phelps was again no match for Germany’s Paul Biedermann, who routed him in the 200 free and put his team more than 1.5 seconds ahead on the first leg of the relay. But Phelps had the better supporting cast, teaming with Ricky Berens, David Walter and Ryan Lochte to set the sixth world record of the night and 35th of the championships. AP

Phelps takes back world record

The message was clear: Don't mess with Michael Phelps.

Cal graduate Milorad Cavic tried to get in his head and wound up looking at his back, losing again to the swimmer who beat him at the Beijing Olympics.
This time, there was no doubt about it.
"There are always things that fire me up and motivate me," Phelps said Saturday, after recapturing the world record in the 100-meter butterfly. "That's just how I tick."
Phelps rallied on the return leg to beat Cavic with a stunning time of 49.82 seconds at the world swimming championships in Rome. Cavic also broke 50 seconds, but 49.95 only got him a silver.
He wasn't nearly as close as last year's Olympics, when Phelps famously won by one-hundredth of a second on the way to eight gold medals, over Cavic's objections that he actually touched first.
When Phelps saw he had won, he ripped off his swimcap, raised his arms with defiance and tugged on the front of his Speedo LZR swimsuit — which he said was a response to Cavic's offer Friday to buy Phelps a more technically advanced suit if he couldn't get one for free. Cavic had taken the record from Phelps in the semifinals with a time of 50.01.
"I've never seen him that emotional," said Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman.
Phelps broke his goggles on another swimmer's head during a collision just more than an hour before the race. He had blurred vision in his left eye and a sore left shoulder, but it didn't stop him.
"When i race Michael Phelps, I want him at his best," said Cavic, a Serbian-American from Tustin. "Because only when he's at his best could I ever feel like I've gotten the race I wanted. I want the atmosphere, I want the experience to be everything that it was tonight.
"My only regret is I let the media make what it makes of it all."

Phelps takes and delivers a knockout

ALL week Milorad Cavic had talked the talk about how he would be the one to deliver the knockout blow to Michael Phelps in his pet event, the 100 metres butterfly.
But just an hour before the pair stared each other down on the starting blocks, an Australian teenager almost did the job for him.
Phelps was at the end of his warm-up for the most anticipated race at the world titles and thought he had enough room to get past a young girl casually doing backstroke in his lane. He was wrong.
‘‘We pretty much collided. I hit the back of her head, my goggles snapped and I think we smashed shoulders,’’ Phelps said.
‘‘We were all freaked out a little bit about it. Bob (Bowman his coach) said to me if it’s really bad we won’t swim. I said no, I’m not doing that. I’ve got to swim, I’ll be fine.’’
‘‘I just tried to put it to the back of my mind. It kind of shocked me, took the wind out of me a little bit.’’
It took the wind out of the teenager, too, sprinter Cate Campbell. She was preparing for the 50 metres freestyle semi-finals, her only event in Rome, and a race-thwarting incident was not what she needed either.
‘‘It was nothing a couple of Panadols couldn’t fix,’’ Campbell said. ‘‘I just laughed it off and continued with my warm up.’’
She came out later that night and swam a personal best.
As for Phelps, he too fared OK. He won the battle with Cavic and the war with the clock.
Wearing his ‘‘slow’’ Speedo LZR, Phelps ran down Cavic and became the first man to break 50 seconds in the event, posting 49.82 seconds. Cavic too broke the barrier, but his 49.95 seconds was worth only silver.
‘‘I’m glad he won or we couldn’t have told you that (about the collision),’’ Bowman said of his star Phelps. ‘‘It would have been an excuse. I was a little worried. It took him out of his game for a few minutes.
‘‘Maybe that’s why he was so fast, it gave them an adrenalin rush.’’
The 100 metres butterfly was the main event of these World Championships, the rematch of the famous clash between Cavic and Phelps in Beijing where the American just out-touched the Serb. Or did he?
Earlier this week, Cavic taunted Phelps, saying he was first but the technology didn’t register his touch.
Cavic then turned to the swimsuit farce, and with Phelps in the slow suit, he offered to buy him one of the fast Arena suits, or they could swim in briefs.
Phelps responded after the race: ‘‘You could tell by my celebration it satisfied me a little bit. Everyone is entitled to say whatever they want.
‘‘I think the coolest thing is being able to have races like this because it really brings the best out of everybody. I think that is what sport is all about. You really have to go to that next level when you race these kinds of people.’’
Cavic was asked after the race if his pre-race tactics had played into Phelps’ hands.
‘‘I have nothing but respect for the guy, he is the best,’’ Cavic said.
‘‘When I race Michael Phelps I want him at his best because only when he is at his best could I ever feel like I’ve done the race that I’ve always wanted.
‘‘There are no regrets, I did my best, he did something huge, huge.’’

There's no fury like a riled Michael Phelps

MEMO to any swimmer planning on racing Michael Phelps for the rest of his career.

Do not criticise him publicly, do not question his decisions, do not look at him the wrong way, do not do anything that might get him riled. Be respectful, be nice, bore him to death with your admiration if possible.
Otherwise he will do to you what he did to Milorad Cavic in the 100m butterfly at the world championships in Rome.
Phelps, the winner of 14 Olympic gold medals and 21 world titles, has won many great races during his dazzling career and this one will stand with the best, not just because it had developed into the grudge match of the world championships but because Phelps had to overcome both adversity before the race and an opponent, Cavic, who publicly and repeatedly challenged him.
For starters, Phelps was wearing his outdated Speedo suit, which has been superseded by this year's full polyurethane style. Then there was an accident during his warm-up which almost put him out of the race.
Phelps, 24, had a full speed collision in the warm-up pool with Australia's teenaged sprinter Cate Campbell, who was doing backstroke in the same lane.
Their heads clashed, Phelps' goggles snapped across his nose, his shoulder was wrenched and he saw stars. Campbell was virtually unhurt, saying later that "it was nothing that a couple of Panadol wouldn't fix".
Phelps clearly came off worse. When his horrified coach Bob Bowman got to the swimmer his vision was blurry and his left shoulder was sore.
"I thought I had enough room to kick past Cate but I kind of broke right on her. I hit the back of her head and I think we smashed shoulders," Phelps recalled later.
"We were all a bit freaked out about it."
Bowman asked if he needed a doctor and considered pulling him out of the race.
"Bob said to me, 'if it's bad we won't swim'. But I said, 'I am not doing that'," Phelps said.
His mind was already focused on a re-match with Cavic after the two butterflyers had staged the closest swimming race at the Olympic Games a year earlier.
The big Serbian had spent much of the week in Rome baiting Phelps in one way or another.
First he recalled the virtual deadheat the two had staged in Beijing. Cavic went into the wall first, but Phelps came out with the gold medal, after activating the touchpad more forcefully.
Then he insisted that he would personally organise a full polyurethane suit for Phelps, so that if the American lost the 100m butterfly he would not have the excuse of inferior suit technology.
"If Mike wants an Arena, he just has to say it," Cavic said.
"If he wants a Jaked and they don't want to give it to him free, I'll buy it for him. He has options. I think in the media it's been portrayed that he has no option, he has to swim for (Speedo). It's a complete lie."
Such talk merely inspired Phelps.
Cavic took the race out hard. By the turn he led by the best part of a body-length. Phelps was at his knee and it seemed impossible that he could make up that much of a margin before the finish. But Phelps kept closing, kept striving for the wall, and by the last stroke he was in control.
He stopped the clock in 49.82sec, becoming the first man to break the 50-second barrier. Cavic also went under, clocking 49.95sec. Australia's Andrew Lauterstein, the Olympic bronze medallist last year, finished fifth in a personal best time of 50.85sec.
Cavic was gracious afterwards, saying he respected Phelps and had never "attacked" him.
"Michael Phelps is Michael Phelps, and he does what he does, and he did," the Italian-based Serbian said.
"I knew if I was to win, I needed a big enough lead to beat Michael, but when I turned he was much closer than I expected. He was too close for my comfort."
Phelps though was in his element.
"The coolest thing is having races like this because it brings out the best in everyone and that's what sport is all about," Phelps said.
"You really have to go to that next level when you are racing someone like this.
"There are always things that fire me up and motivate me. That's just how I tick. It gives me extra motivation when there are comments said. I think it makes it more exciting."
Bowman said Phelps' performance in the 100m butterfly was "way up there. This is probably as good as it gets because he had to overcome adversity."
Brazil's Cesar Cielo became only the third man to claim both the 50m and 100m freestyle at one world championships.
Cielo, coached by Australian Brett Hawke at Auburn University in Alabama, defeated his training partner Fred Bousquet, while fellow Frenchman Amaury Leveaux took the bronze. It was a heroic effort from Leveaux whose father died during the championships.
Cielo swam the fastest lap of his life, clocking 21.08sec.

Lochte leads U.S. one-two in 400 medley

ROME (Reuters) - Ryan Lochte led an American one-two in the men's 400 meters individual medley on Sunday to complete a golden double at the world championships.
Lochte, who broke Michael Phelps' 200 medley world record to win that title on Thursday, triumphed in four minutes 07.01 seconds, just ahead of his compatriot Scott Tyler Clary. Hungary's Laszlo Cseh took the bronze medal.
"It's new for me to be in the spotlight in an individual medley race," Lochte, the Olympic 200 backstroke champion, told reporters.
"I'm very happy I broke Phelps record in the 200 IM. I hope someday he will be back in this race because I love racing against him."
Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals in Beijing, decided to scale down his program in Rome and not to defend his 200 and 400 medley world titles here.
Lochte led for most of the race but looked to be fading toward the end, with Clary and Cseh finishing strongly, but he had just enough power in the tank to touch first.
"I was talking to Ryan before the race and he said that I shouldn't go out too fast as he was fed up with chasing my ass," Clary told reporters. "I ended up behind him but silver is ok."
(Editing by Tom Justin Palmer)

Lochte completes medley double with 400m win

ROME — American Ryan Lochte gave himself an early birthday present Sunday, winning his fourth gold medal of the world Swimming Championships in the 400m individual medley.
Lochte clocked 4min 07.01sec to take the title, improving on his bronze medal finish at the Beijing Olympics and his runner-up finish to Michael Phelps in the 2007 World Championships.
World record-holder Phelps opted not to swim the four-stroke events here.
Lochte took full advantage of his absence, breaking Phelps's world record in winning the 200m medley on Thursday. Lochte also won 4x100m free and 4x200m free relay golds in Rome.
"It definitely felt good to get those wins in IM after coming second to Michael for so long," Lochte said. "But I wish he was there swimming it, just because he's a great competitor. I love racing him."
Lochte said the always demanding event was even tougher coming at the end of a long eight days of racing.
"I didn't think I was going to hurt that much," Lochte said. "Don't tell me about the last 150 - the last 150 hurt.
"When I touched going into freestyle I just knew I had a body length lead. I just gave it everything I had at the very end, and that's all I could ask.
"I'm glad this meet is over," added Lochte, who will be turning 25 on Monday. "It's my birthday tomorrow, I'm definitely going to celebrate."
Lochte's teammate Tyler Clary was second in 4:07.31, getting the touch ahead of 2005 world champion Laszlo Cseh of Hungary. Cseh, silver medallist behind Phelps in Beijing, clocked 4:07.37.
Clary revealed that is was some advice from Lochte himself that helped him finish on the medal podium.
"My first 200m was considerably slower than at the (US) trials and that was based on some advice that Ryan had given me for the race. Luckily it paid off for me and thank you for that," he said.
"He was kind of talking about chasing me down in the last 200m because I normally have a faster first 200 than he does and he said maybe you should try going out a little easier and maybe that will help you in the finish.
"It really did, I was able to put my head down and pull past a few guys so that really helped.
"He's really cool like that, it's really nice of him and like I said it worked out for me."
However, that advice almost cost Lochte according to the champion.
"I think I went out a little too fast and I kind of paid for that at the end. I told Clary after the race that if there was five more yards I think I would have gone fourth," he said.
"I was just dying at the very end but it was a race and that's what we do. When it comes down to it we don't look at the times we just go out and race and have fun."

Phelps wins 5th gold as U.S. relay team shatters record

Michael Phelps put an exclamation mark on the final race of the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, winning his fifth gold medal as the U.S. team shattered its own world record on the way to winning the men's 400-metre medley relay on Sunday in Rome.
Phelps swam the butterfly leg of the race, and steadily pulled away from German Benjamin Starke to give anchor David Walters a healthy lead to take to the finish.
The U.S. team won in 3:27.28, more than two seconds better than the world mark they set in Beijing.
Germany and Australia, who were right with the Americans until Phelps hit the water, finished second and third. The Germans clocked in at 3:28.58 and the Aussies finished in 3:28.64.
In total, four teams bettered the world record pace set by the U.S. back at the 2008 Olympics. The mark brought the final tally of world marks set at the aquatics championships to 43, by far a record itself.
A couple of those records were set earlier in the day.
Liam Tancock got the night program started with a record-setting victory in the men's 50-metre backstroke. The Briton finished in 24.04, bettering his own mark set a day earlier by four hundredths of a second.
Japan's Junya Koga was second and South African Gerhard Zandberg was third.
German Britta Steffen set her own world mark in the women's 50-metre freestyle, touching the wall at 23.73. Therese Alshammar of Sweden was second, while Australian Cate Campbell and Magdalena Veldhuis of The Netherlands finished in a tie for third.
The Americans finished one-two in the men's 400-metre individual medley, but Phelps wasn't one of them. He instead rested for the relay, paving the way for Ryan Lochte to take gold and Scott Tyler Clary to win silver.
Lochte couldn't break Phelps's record though, finishing in 4:07.01, well off the world mark of 4:03.84. Laszlo Cseh from Hungary finished third.

Phelps wins fifth gold medal of 2009 Worlds

Rome, Italy (Sports Network) - Michael Phelps helped the United States' 400- meter medley relay team to a world record in the final event of the 2009 World Swim Championships and earned himself a fifth gold medal in the process.
Phelps swam the butterfly during the third leg of the medley and gave the Americans a big lead, allowing freestyle anchor David Walters to finish the race comfortably in front with a time of three minutes, 27.28 seconds. Aaron Peirsol started the race with the backstroke and Eric Shanteau swam the breaststroke before Phelps did his part in the 43rd world record at the Foro Italico.
The Americans set the old record of 3:29.34 at last year's Beijing Olympics.
Phelps was also part of that relay team in Beijing, when he became the most decorated single-Games Olympian with eight gold medals. He won five this week in a scaled-back program, losing only in the final of the 200-meter freestyle.
In addition to his relay gold on Sunday, Phelps was also part of the winning relay teams in the 400-meter freestyle and 800-meter freestyle. He also captured individual gold in the 100-meter butterfly and the 200-meter butterfly.
American Ryan Lochte captured his second gold medal of the Worlds by winning the men's 400-meter individual medley. Lochte, the 200-meter IM gold medalist, finished in a time of four minutes, 7.01 seconds, beating fellow American Scott Tyler Clary by 3/10ths of a second.
Great Britain's Liam Tancock got the day started with another world record, winning the men's 50-meter backstroke in just 24.04 seconds. He had previously set the mark on Saturday at 24.08 seconds.
Russia's Yuliya Efimova followed with another new record in the women's 50- meter breaststroke, finishing in a time of 30.09 seconds to eclipse the old mark of 30.23 set by Canada's Amanda Reason early last month. Reason finished seventh on Sunday, while American Rebecca Soni was second, just 2/100ths of a second behind Efimova. Another American, Kasey Carlson, was sixth.
Britta Steffen won the women's 50-meter freestyle in world-record time of 23.73 seconds, topping the previous record of 23.96 seconds set by Marleen Veldhuis of the Netherlands this past April. Americans Amanda Weir and Dara Torres were the last two finishers in the field of eight. The 42-year-old Torres, a five-time Olympian, won the silver medal in the 50 free last year at the Beijing Olympics.
Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia captured the men's 1,500-meter freestyle, touching the wall first in a time of 14 minutes, 37.28 seconds. Canada's Ryan Cochrane was second, 4.10 seconds behind.
The women's 400-meter individual medley went to Hungary's Katinka Hosszu in a time of four minutes, 30.31 seconds. World record holder Stephanie Rice of Australia, finished third, while Americans Elizabeth Beisel and Julia Smit were fifth and sixth, respectively.

Phelps helps triumphant U.S. shatter record

ROME (Reuters) - Michael Phelps helped the United States smash the world record and complete a men's relay clean sweep with victory in the 4x100 medley at the world championships on Sunday.
The Olympic champions led from start to finish and triumphed in three minutes 27.28 to shave over two seconds off their mark of 3:29.34 from the Beijing Games.
Germany took silver with 2007 champions Australia winning the bronze medal.
It is Phelps' fifth gold this week after he helped the U.S. take the 100 and 200 freestyle relays and won an epic clash with Serb rival Milorad Cavic to keep his 100 butterfly title on Saturday, having successfully defended his 200 crown.
"For us to end on this note going into next year is a great way to finish," Phelps told reporters.
"There was so much emotion coming out of yesterday's race. but nothing is bigger than being in a relay, especially coming and smashing the world record."
The 24-year-old, who won a record eight gold medals at last year's Beijing Olympics, now has a career total 22 world championship golds to his name.
Aaron Peirsol, the individual 200 backstroke champion, put the Americans in front in the first leg of the relay and Eric Shanteau kept them there after the breaststroke.
Phelps stretched the lead in the butterfly leg before freestyler David Walters wrapped things up in the last 100.
(editing by Justin Palmer)

Serbian swimmer Milorad Cavic proposes 1-on-1 duel with Michael Phelps

ROME — Two years seems too long to wait for Phelps-Cavic III. Especially for the challenger in the 100-metre butterfly.
With no major international meet scheduled for next year, Milorad Cavic has proposed a 1-on-1 duel in the pool with Michael Phelps in 2010.
"I think for the promotion of swimming it would be wonderful if he and I could organize a duel, just a 1-on-1," Cavic told The Associated Press on Sunday, one day after he was beaten by Phelps at the world championships.
"It would be a lot of fun. He is known as the promoter of swimming and we do need to bring this sport up to a higher level."
As is, Phelps and Cavic might not meet in an Olympic-sized pool until the 2011 worlds in Shanghai.
At last year's Beijing Olympics, Cavic came closer to beating Phelps than anyone else.
The American-born Serb lost by a mere hundredth of a second, a finish so close that the Serbs filed a protest and swimming's governing body had to review the tape down to the 10-thousandth of a second.
The rematch at the Foro Italico was just as dramatic, with both swimmers trading jabs in the press beforehand and Phelps winning with a supposedly inferior swimsuit. For one day at least - and in a non-Olympic year no less - swimming was as big as baseball in the United States.
"We need to keep it going," Cavic said. "Somebody should put something together where the two best athletes in all the 100s and 50s in the world just come together and they make this duel meet.
"Just some neutral venue. I think it would be incredible for the sport. We meet there, we race the races and then afterward we just enjoy ourselves. It is a rivalry, but I don't have any negative energy versus Phelps."
While Phelps wouldn't engage in talk of personal challenges, his coach Bob Bowman didn't sound too interested in Cavic's offer.
"We race. We go to lots of meets," Bowman said. "They can come to any of the meets we go to."
Cavic's agent, David Arluck, suggested Dubai as a possible setting for a Phelps-Cavic exhibition.
"Peter Carlisle (Phelps' agent) and I get along really well, and I'm sure he understands it's important to maintain this rivalry," Arluck said.
Cavic also reached out to Phelps to join the anti-doping blood passport program he launched on his website before the worlds, publishing his test results for the public to see.
"I think it would be really, really wonderful if he would join me in this initiative," Cavic said. "I think after the suit controversy is out of the way, the next big thing is to attack the real doping in sports. Simply, the urine tests are not doing it. We could do better and I think this blood initiative is the next step."

Phelps Wins 5 Golds as Swimsuits Muddy World Championship Water

Aug. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Michael Phelps helped the U.S. to close the fastest swimming competition in history with the 43rd world record of the meet, lifting his gold-medal haul at the polyurethane-powered world championships to five.
The team of Aaron Peirsol, Eric Shanteau, Phelps and David Walters ended eight days of competition in Rome by winning the 400-meter medley relay in 3 minutes, 27.28 seconds, improving the mark set by the U.S. at last year’s Beijing Olympics.
“We wanted to finish on the best note we could,” Phelps was cited as saying on the Web site of swimming governing body FINA. “And that was breaking the record.”
Four more world records were established at the Foro Italico yesterday, taking the tally past 40. Fifteen world bests were set during the 2007 world championships, while 25 records fell in Beijing.
Longstanding marks including middle and long-distance freestyle records set by Australians Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett were among those to fall to athletes in polyurethane suits such as the Arena X-Glide, which swimmers and coaches say enhance performance. The suits will be banned next year.
Three-time Olympic champion Hackett, whose 800-meter freestyle mark was beaten in Rome, said last week that FINA’s decision to allow the polyurethane suits had “undermined and compromised the sport.”
On July 28, FINA ratified an overhaul of swimwear regulations that will outlaw non-textile outfits. Three days ago, the federation said the ban would begin Jan. 1, 2010, after saying earlier last week that any such implementation could be delayed until April or May.
‘Basic Things’
“It’s still about fitness and technique and the basic things so that’s what we’ll work on,” Bob Bowman, the head coach of the U.S. men’s team, told swimnews.com.
The U.S. finished with 22 medals -- 10 gold, six silver and six bronze -- to top the standings in both golds and total medals.
Britain’s Liam Tancock set a world mark of 24.04 in winning yesterday’s men’s 50-meter backstroke, and there were also records for Russia’s Yuliya Efimova in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke and Britta Steffen of Germany in the 50-meter freestyle. Steffen’s victory gave her a sweep of the women’s sprint titles.
American Ryan Lochte won the 400-meter individual medley outside record time. Tunisia’s Oussama Mellouli won the men’s 1,500-meter freestyle in 14:37.28, second to Hackett’s 14:34.56 in the all-time rankings, and Katinka Hosszu of Hungary took the women’s 400-meter individual medley.
24 Medals
Phelps, a record 14-time Olympic champion, used an older Speedo suit for his five-gold haul. He’s now won 24 world championship medals, the most by any swimmer in the event’s 36- year history.
Two days ago, the American took his second individual gold in Rome, the 100-meter butterfly, as he and Serbia’s Milorad Cavic clocked under 50 seconds to smash the old mark. Phelps roared with delight, slapped the water and pulled at the sides of his swimsuit following his win.
‘I don’t think I have ever been that emotional or pumped up after a race,’’ he told reporters. “You saw by my reaction how much I wanted that. I know comments have been made in the past and I welcome them. Comments motivate me and I let my swimming do the talking.”
The 100-meter showdown was a repeat of last year’s Olympic final matchup, when Phelps out-touched the Serb to win by one- hundredth of a second.
Suit Offer
Cavic, who uses an Arena X-Glide, had offered to buy Phelps a new hi-tech swimsuit for the Rome final. The American refused, saying he’d rather give Cavic one of his own.
Phelps also won the 200-meter butterfly, where he lowered his own world mark. He was competing at his first global meet after a three-month ban, imposed after he was pictured in a U.K. newspaper with a bong, a pipe used to smoke marijuana.
His only individual setback at the championships was in the 200-meter freestyle, where he was second to Germany’s Paul Biedermann, who was wearing an Arena X-Glide. It was Phelps’s first solo defeat in a major international event since the 2005 world championships.
“Michael’s kind of back in the game,” Bowman said. “We’re going to go back and work on the 200 free, that’s a big motivator for him if he wants to race this kid.”
The Speedo suit, too, is set to be outlawed. Bowman has said that Phelps might skip international competition until a ban was enforced.
FINA two days ago appointed a five-man commission, comprising four scientists and a swimmer, to oversee the swimwear approval process and monitor swimsuit developments.
The presence of the suits had rendered the Rome championships meaningless as a means of gauging progress between Beijing and London Olympics in 2012, Bowman said.
“The suit issues affect different people differently so you can’t say one country got an advantage and another didn’t,” he said. “That is what’s so insidious about them because you don’t know the effect they’re going to have on anything.”

Phelps captures relay gold

Michael Phelps completed a remarkable performance over eight days at the world swimming championships in Rome by helping the U.S. 400-meter medley relay team set the 43rd world record of the fastest meet in history Sunday.

Swimming the butterfly leg, Phelps helped the United States pull away from Germany and Australia to win in 3 minutes, 27.28 seconds. That easily broke the mark of 3:29.34 set by the Americans at last summer's Olympics, another relay team that included Phelps.
"That relay brings out the best in me," Phelps said. "It doesn't matter how much energy I have, it's all going to go into every race. That's one of the things that I enjoy most — stepping out onto the blocks no matter what kind of shape I'm in."
Phelps took six months off after his Beijing triumph, drew a three-month suspension from competition after the infamous pipe photo — and he was still honored as the outstanding male swimmer of the championships. Italy's Federica Pellegrini received the female award at the final major meet for high-tech bodysuits, which are responsible for so many world records falling and will be banned Jan. 1.
Eric Shanteau, who overcame testicular cancer to swim his best times, picked up the first major gold medal of his career on the breaststroke leg of the relay.
Ryan Lochte won his fourth gold of the championships and Germany's Britta Steffen matched her 50-100 freestyle sweep in Beijing.
The United States received an award as the top-performing country, though it was its worst showing since 1994.
The Americans took 10 golds, six silvers and six bronzes. In '94 they won 21 overall medals.
"The world is becoming so much more competitive," said Aaron Peirsol, who learned that the hard way when he surprisingly failed to qualify for the 100-meter backstroke final. "That can only be a beneficial thing for swimming. Competition raises the level of everybody."

Pro football

The Minnesota Vikings signed first-round pick Percy Harvin, the No. 22 overall selection out of Florida, to a five-year deal.

The Vikings expect to use Harvin in a variety of roles, including wide receiver, running back and return man,

The Indianapolis Colts agreed to terms with runing back Donald Brown, whom they selected out of Connecticut in the first round with the No. 27 overall pick.

The New York Giants placed linebacker Michael Boley (hip) and defensive tackles Fred Robbins (knee) and Rocky Bernard (hamstring) on the active physically unable to perform list

Phelps collects 5 golds in Rome

ROME — Michael Phelps had every reason to be satisfied after last year's Beijing Olympics. Yet he kept insisting there was more to do in the pool.
Even coming off his longest layoff and the embarrassment of being photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe, Phelps turned in another remarkable performance at the Foro Italico.
He completed it Sunday by helping the U.S. 400-meter medley-relay team set the 43rd world record of the fastest meet in history.
OK, Phelps didn't match his Olympic haul of eight gold medals. He made do with five golds and a silver at worlds.
"I never want to look back on my career and ask, 'What if?' " he said.
Swimming the butterfly leg, Phelps helped the U.S. team pull away from Germany and Australia to win in 3 minutes, 27.28 seconds, surpassing the mark of 3:29.34 set by the Americans in Beijing, another relay team that included Phelps.
"That relay brings out the best in me," he said.
Phelps was honored as the outstanding male swimmer of the championships. Italy's Federica Pellegrini received the female award at the final major meet for high-tech bodysuits, which will be banned Jan. 1.
On to the London Olympics in 2012.
"I've got to be in better shape," Phelps said.
"I think without taking six months off, that will do it."
Ariana Kukors of Auburn set two world records in the 200 IM relay last week, but it wasn't a great meet for the U.S. team overall.
The American showing — 10 golds, six silvers, six bronzes — led all countries but was its lowest total at worlds since a team from 15 years ago managed a total of 21 medals.
At the last worlds, in Melbourne, Australia, the Americans piled up 36 medals — 20 golds, 13 silvers and three bronzes.

Phelps Outshines Those Dressed For Success In Rome

ROME (Reuters) - Triumphant Michael Phelps did not need to rely on hi-tech swimsuit wizardry to reaffirm his worth at the world aquatics championships.
He came to Rome a little rusty after a post-Beijing Olympics break, including a three-month ban for being photographed inhaling from a pipe used to smoke marijuana, but the American still left Italy with the most medals.
His victory over big rival Milorad Cavic in Saturday's 100 meters butterfly final, where he also stole the world record back off the Serb, was the standout race of the week-long swimming competition and one of the best duels seen for years.
The defeat by Germany's Paul Biedermann in Tuesday's 200 freestyle final had threatened to derail his charge to five golds but he stormed back with extraordinary determination.
"I never back down from challenges, I love challenges," said Phelps, who also won with the U.S. team in the 4x100, 4x200 freestyle and 4x100 medley relays.
His successes came despite his Speedo bodysuit being widely regarded as less performance-enhancing than other models, while he only wore long pants in his 200 butterfly victory.
With the usually strong Australians generally flopping, Phelps' achievements helped to slightly restore swimming's battered image following the chaos over costumes.
Governing body FINA permitted the latest all-polyurethane suits for the worlds knowing they would prompt a flood of world records, but then messily announced during the championships that they would be banned from January.
An unprecedented 43 world records fell in Rome and a return to textile costumes means they will be difficult to surpass.
Federica Pellegrini would almost certainly have won the 200 and 400 freestyle titles without the suits but the Italian's two world records in the finals were so jaw-dropping that swimming's critics had a field day.
Brazil's Cesar Cielo Filho also notched a freestyle double in the men's 50 and 100 while shock golds for Hungary's Daniel Gyurta and Serbia's Nadja Higl in the men's and women's 200 breaststroke showed romance was not dead in the water.
Rome organizers also came away smelling of roses after a successful hosting of the two-week event following serious delays in preparation.
The cleverly converted tennis courts at the Foro Italiaco were fitting venues for a nail-biting men's waterpolo final won by Serbia and more Russian superiority in synchronized swimming.
A storm which hit the open water facilities at Ostia did not prevent German Thomas Lurz from seizing gold in the 5km and 10km races while British 15-year-old Tom Daley grabbed the headlines with victory in the 10m dive to stun the dominant Chinese.

Phelps closes worlds in Rome with 5th gold medal

ROME — For those who thought Michael Phelps was just stopping by for a Roman holiday, no way.
This guy means business when he's in the pool.
On to London!
As for he rest of the American swim team, well, there's a little work to do if the country is going to maintain its position atop the world pecking order.
Even coming off his longest layoff and the embarrassment of being photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe, Phelps turned in another remarkable performance over eight days at the Foro Italico. He completed it Sunday night by helping the U.S. set the 43rd world record of the fastest meet in history in the 400-meter medley relay.
OK, he didn't win another eight golds. This time, he made do with five golds and a silver.
Still, Phelps showed plenty of fire, even when there's really nothing left to prove.
"I never want to look back on my career and ask, 'What if?'" he said.
No worries there. When Phelps is back in top condition, it's hard to imagine anyone standing in the way of anything he puts his mind to.
That loss to Paul Biedermann? It just figures to fire up the world's greatest swimmer. Look what happened when Milorad Cavic tried to get in Phelps' head.
"An incredible talent, an incredible background and probably the greatest mental toughness I've ever witnessed in an athlete," raved Mark Schubert, general manager of USA Swimming, who was especially impressed with Phelps' thrilling win over Cavic in a 100 butterfly showdown that featured plenty of smack talk beforehand.
Coach Bob Bowman said Phelps will get all of two weeks off before he's back in the pool, even though his next meet isn't likely to be until December when the U.S. faces an all-star team from Britain, France and Russia.
Everything is pointing toward the 2012 Olympics, which Phelps insists will be his farewell to the sport he has dominated like no one else.
"I think Michael will be the first to tell you his preparation wasn't the same here as it was in Beijing," Schubert said. "But the mental toughness, you really can't compare it with anyone."
Swimming the butterfly leg, Phelps helped the U.S. pull away from Germany and Australia to win in 3 minutes, 27.28 seconds. That easily broke the mark of 3:29.34 set by the Americans at last summer's Olympics, another relay team that included Phelps.
"That relay brings out the best in me," Phelps said. "It doesn't matter how much energy I have, it's all going to go into every race. That's one of the things that I enjoy most — stepping out onto the blocks no matter what kind of shape I'm in."
Phelps took six months off after his Beijing triumph, drew a three-month suspension from competition after the infamous pipe photo — and he was still honored as the outstanding male swimmer of the championships. Italy's Federica Pellegrini received the female award at the final major meet for high-tech bodysuits, which are being banned officially on Jan. 1 and likely before that in U.S.
We aren't likely to see these sort of times for years, maybe decades.
"It certainly made it fun with all the records," Schubert said. "But I'm looking forward to it going back to normal."
He'd certainly like to see the U.S. put a little more distance on the rest of the world. The other countries are catching up — fast.
The U.S. had its worst showing at these every-other-year championships since 1994, when the meet also was held at Rome. The American showing — 10 golds, six silvers, six bronzes — was its lowest total since that team from 15 years ago managed only 21 medals overall.
"The world is becoming so much more competitive," said Aaron Peirsol, who learned that the hard way when he shockingly failed to qualify for the 100 backstroke final. "That can only be a beneficial thing for swimming. Competition raises the level of everybody."
The U.S. is used to dominating in the pool.
At the last worlds in Melbourne, the Americans piled up 36 medals — 20 golds, 13 silvers and three bronzes. That provided the spark heading into last year's Beijing Olympics, where the U.S. actually won even more golds (21) with fewer events, part of a 31-medal haul that left no doubt which country was on top.
The Americans still led at Rome, but with a much smaller margin. Australia was only six behind in the medal standings with three golds, four silvers and nine bronzes (and that was a disappointing performance for the team from Down Under).
China won 10 medals, signaling a rise that everyone expected for Beijing but maybe was a year behind schedule. Germany captured nine medals, and Britain claimed seven — an encouraging performance by a country that will undoubtedly be looking to improve even more heading into its home Olympics, the 2012 London Games.
The U.S. men were expected to carry the load on a team loaded with females still in their teens, and that turned out to be the case as the males won eight golds, the females only two.
Still, the men weren't quite as impressive as everyone projected. There was Peirsol's shocker. Phelps lost to Biedermann in the 200 freestyle. The sprinters didn't manage a medal in the 50 or 100 free.
"I know the men's team, we got off to a pretty flat start," Peirsol said. "Once we settled into the meet, we started kind of raising our level. We had no choice. The meet was incredibly fast. The rest of the world was ready to step up."
The U.S. knew the women's team was rebuilding after Beijing. Ariana Kukors pulled off an unexpected gold in the 200 individual medley, but this group seemed mostly like kids on the big stage for the first time. The biggest shocker came in the 400 medley relay, an event the Americans had won gold or silver in at every previous world championship; they didn't even get out of the preliminaries in Rome.
Not even Dara Torres could help. The 42-year-old gave it a go with an ailing knee and swimsuit issues, but she failed to get out of the preliminaries in the 50 butterfly and finished last in the final of the 50 free.
Still, Torres was encouraged.
"I think the U.S. women have done much better than people expected coming out of trials," she said. "They stood up and gave their best effort and I think it's a very bright future."
The same could be said for Phelps.