Irvine, California // Olympic great Michael Phelps posted the fastest time in the world this year to lead the way into the 100-metre butterfly final at the US Swimming Championships on Friday.
Phelps won his heat in 51.17 seconds – faster than the previous season-best of 51.29 set by Chad Le Clos of South Africa at the recently completed 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Tim Phillips won his heat in the morning’s second-quickest time of 51.49, with Tom Shields third-fastest in 51.55.
Matt Ellis won his heat in 51.77 and Ryan Lochte, swimming next to Phelps, had the fifth-fastest qualifying time of 51.91.
“As soon as Ryan and I saw those guys going 51 we were like ‘What is this? Can we just have an easy morning?’,” Phelps said.
In fact, the 18-time Olympic gold medallist was delighted to grab the top time of the season – something he had hoped to do at an earlier meet at Atlanta, Georgia, last month.
Phelps, 29, is swimming just his fourth meet since ending a near two-year retirement in April 2014.
He has a chance to take his comeback to another level by booking a spot in his first major international competition since the 2012 London Games with the nationals serving as the qualifying meeting for the Pan Pacific Championships at Gold Coast, Australia, August 21-25.
Results from this week and the Pan Pacific Championships will determine the US team for the 2015 World Championships in Russia.
Phelps’s first event of the week had gone badly as he misjudged the turn in the 100m freestyle on Wednesday and finished seventh.
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