Phelps wins 200 fly at nationals with fastest time in world

He will do so after setting the fastest time of the year in the 200m butterfly.

“I don’t fear Michael Phelps”, he said Sunday.

He planned to go a lot faster in the evening – and he’s got a time to beat.

Phelps’s time, the second-fastest recorded in a regular swimsuit, bettered the 50.56 South African Chad Le Clos clocked to win the identical occasion on the world championships in Russian Federation exclusively hours earlier.

He started slowly and reached the midway point in the middle of the pack, though he did power through the final lap to touch ahead of everyone in his heat.

“I really liked the last 50 even though it’s the weakest part of that swim if I want to get picky”, Bowman said.

“Now I just want to keep training hard and look forward to a reunion with Michael Phelps next year.” concluded Le Clos. “Next year is going to be Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier”.

Before the race, Phelps wasn’t his usual stoic self.

Swimming in the US meet that runs opposite the worlds, he’s been keeping a keen eye on the times produced in Russian Federation.

[Jack Conger claims second silver but is still chasing Phelps].

He has enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous and vowed not to drink any alcohol at least through the Rio Olympics.

Phelps held up one finger when he saw his time on the scoreboard, then pounded the water defiantly _ first with one hand, then with both. Like I say, I welcome every comment.

“If I’m going to come back, I need to do this the right way”, he said.

“I let what I do in the pool do all my talking and that’s how I’ve always done things.”

His time would have won gold in London, an event in which he finished second in 2012.

Le Clos hasn’t been happy hearing from Phelps that times haven’t really improved while he was out in retirement.

South Africa’s Chad le Clos swims to win gold in the men’s 100 butterfly at Kazan Arena.

— Phelps put up a stunning time of 1:52.94 in the 200 fly Friday night, the fastest by any swimmer since he set the world record in 2009 in a high-tech bodysuit.

Le Clos’ outbursts were apparently in response to comments Phelps made a few months back about the lack of firepower in the butterfly events.

“I absolutely love it”, said Phelps, whose 18 Olympic golds include his incredible eight in Beijing in 2008.

– He has now.

Phelps insisted he had not meant to needle any potential rival. “You have to do the work to get fast times”.

Im serious, ” Bert Le Clos told The Associated Press in Kazan, adding that he wasnt even bothering to check Phelps times anymore.

Phelps said he feeds off of critiques by others.

“Lots can occur in a yr, with not exclusively myself however everyone else on the planet”. “It just fuels me”. He has left no doubt that he is pleased to be in San Antonio and not at the World Championships in Russian Federation.