ROAD TO RIO: Phelps may do time trial in 100-meter freestyle

Phelps made it three-for-three at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, rallying on the return lap to win the 100-meter butterfly Saturday night. “Let’s just take a deep breath, get on the couch with your favorite meal and your favorite people and watch the Games and not know – be surprised and be shocked, as we’ve been here at the trials”.

Phelps said he was relieved to see so many new faces because, for a long time, he wondered if the next generation would continue the country’s longtime dominance in Olympic swimming. Even with a long glide to the wall, he finished in 51 seconds dead.

When Phelps saw the number one beside his name, he pounded the water and pointed toward his family up in the stands. “Now they have that shocking moment, they have to regroup and try to figure out how to make their goal to get on the podium and win medals”.

Bob Bowman, the head men’s coach, will be assisted by Mike Bottom, Dave Durden and Jack Bauerle.

“It did not occur to me that this was my last race on USA soil under (Elizabeth) Beisel and I were about to get into the warm-up pool and she said, “dude, this is the last time we’re going to wear these caps, ‘ ” DiRado said”. A few days later, in the warm up pool, she collided with another swimmer and broke a bone in her pinky and tore a ligament.

Beisel will compete in the 400 IM in Rio. Already on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, Smith will swim in the 400, 800 and 4×200 free relay in Rio. This is her third trip to the Olympic Trials. Still DiRado confessed to a swarm of pre-meet jitters that only subsided after she won the 400 IM by three seconds on the first night of the Trials.

Heading into his fifth and final Olympics, Phelps, 31, has said he wants to swim another personal best at least once before he retires after Rio. Ledecky hopes she can do the same for the first-timers ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

When the 19-year-old springs off a starting block for a distance race, the question isn’t whether she’s going to win, but whether the inevitable victory will demolish another world record.

Michael Phelps is already the most decorated Olympian of all-time with 22 medals and 18 golds, and is the only American male to swim in five Olympics.

“It’s kind of insane how our races turn out”, Phelps said.

Well, not quite. He’ll need to go even faster in Rio.

“I know if I want to be anywhere on the podium, some of those times are going to have to be a lot faster”, said Phelps, who won the 100m and 200m butterfly and 200m medley in Omaha but didn’t display the dazzling form he showed at the United States championships in San Antonio last August – when he posted the top times of 2015 in all three events.

Ledecky will be busy enough as it is.

“She’s going to tear it up”, Phelps predicted.

“This is a dream”, DiRado said.

Missy Franklin, who set a world record in winning gold in London, clawed her way into a Rio berth with a runner-up finish.

“If he doesn’t I’ve got to fire him”, Phelps quipped. “There’s so much room for improvement”.

After yet another intense race at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, Shields and Phelps both achieved what they wanted in front of 14,502 at CenturyLink Center. She’ll also swim the 4×200 free relay, a far cry from her grueling seven-event program at London four years ago. She finished ninth in the event. He touched just ahead of Seth Stubblefield (51.24) and Jack Conger (51.26). Ervin was second to Adrian by one one-hundredth of a second.

Phelps was too much in the freestyle, however, and improved to 4-0 vs. Lochte in the event at the Trials. The duo finished in the same exact order in London, taking gold and silver.