Phelps ‘sick and tired of getting whupped’
Olympic superstar Michael Phelps said Thursday that he is “sick and
tired of just getting whupped,” as he tries to get his sputtering
comeback on track at the Santa Clara Pro Swim.
Also headlining the action will be Missy Franklin, who will compete
as a professional for the first time, with the Rio Games next summer.
Phelps may boast 18 Olympic gold medals but at his last outing in May
he finished outside the top two in all of his events - something that
hadn’t happened to him since he competed at the Sydney Olympics as a
15-year-old.
He will test himself in five events here, with three of them -- the
200m individual medley, 200m backstroke and 100m freestyle - all falling
on Sunday. He is hoping for a solid showing against elite swimmers
before the August US championships in Texas.
He will sit out the World Championships in Russia at the same time as
part of the sanction for the drunk-driving incident that saw him
suspended for six months by USA Swimming.
The ban interrupted the comeback the 29-year-old launched in 2014
aimed at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Franklin is also gearing up for the global stage -- worlds this year
and the Rio Games.
The 20-year-old already has four gold medals from the 2012 London
Olympics, but after graduating from high school she opted to compete for
two years for the University of California, before turning pro this year
and inking a deal with Speedo.
The meet will be her only long course competition before the World
Championships.
On the opening night of competition, New Zealand’s Lauren Boyle
cruised to victory in the 1500m free in 16min 03.73sec -- nearly 30
seconds clear of the field. American Gillian Ryan was second in
16:33.74.
In contrast, American Michael McBroom won a close men’s 800m free,
clocking 7:54.21 to edge compatriot Connor Jaeger (7:54.47).
Tunisia’s Ous Mellouli was third in 7:56.00.
(AFP)
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