SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Michael Phelps made it 3 for 3 at the U.S. national championships, winning the 200-meter individual medley Sunday night with another time that would have been good enough for a world title.
Phelps was under world-record pace through the first three laps, but he struggled a bit on the freestyle leg to touch in 1 minute, 54.75 seconds – 0.75 off the mark set in 2011 by American rival Ryan Lochte.
Still, it was easily the fastest time in the world this year, more than second faster than Lochte’s winning time of 1:55.81 at the world championships in Kazan, Russia.
Phelps cruised through the 100 and 200 butterfly the two previous nights in San Antonio, putting up the fastest times in those events since high-tech bodysuits were banned after the 2009 worlds.